


Sheilds of Power

by swimgirl5665



Category: Twilight Series - Stephenie Meyer
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-24
Updated: 2017-12-24
Packaged: 2019-02-19 12:17:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 45
Words: 146,186
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13123557
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/swimgirl5665/pseuds/swimgirl5665
Summary: What if Bella already knew about vampires before she came to forks, what if she'd already met the Volturi, but wasn't allowed to tell anyone? And most importantly, what if she had her own gift?





	1. Meeting the Mythical Beings

BPOV (Bella is 4 years old)

I was standing in the hotel room, looking out the window and watching the children playing on the streets in Rome, being as clumsy as I was; it was wiser to stay out of situations where I might get hurt. Besides, I didn't really know anyone yet, as I'd just moved to Italy with my mother a few days ago, I didn't even understand what the other children were saying.

*FLASHBACK*

A few days ago

"I'm sorry Bella, but we're going to leave Charlie, Mummy doesn't love him anymore." Renee softly whispered to me, as we boarded the plane that would take us away from Forks.

All too soon we landed in Rome, where Mum booked us into a hotel while she tried to find us a house to live in, and sorted out the divorce papers with Dad.

She didn't think I understood what a divorce was, but I did.

*Back to Present*

I sighed, and gave up watching the other kids, I moved away from the window. I knew that even if I had spoken their language I wouldn't fit in. I was different from other people, I had a gift. I was able to shield myself. From what I could tell it was invisible to others, to me it looked like a translucent haze of white when I cast a shield around myself. Others also couldn't feel it, although to me it felt like a comfortable second skin.

From the age of two I had realised that I had a shield. I had experimented, finding that wrapping myself in a shield was surprisingly easy to do, and came in very handy as it stopped me from getting hurt when I tripped, or fell. The main things I noticed about my shield was that it not only acted as a physical barrier, but it also seemed to absorb the force of impact, so I was never hurt at all. This was a fact I noticed when I tripped and ran into a pole one day, managing to throw up my shield before I hit it, I was surprised to find that while I felt nothing on impact, the pole now sported a small dent.

As I got used to my shield I started experimenting, and found that I could cast shield around other people and objects. That was how I found that they couldn't feel my shield, I regularly cast shield around my parents and held them for hours at a time, and they never gave any indication that they had ever felt it. In fact one time, I had been shielding my mother while I watched her make dinner, and she accidentally chopped her finger on the chopping board while cutting the vegetables. The knife had ended up with a slight dent and mum's finger had been fine. She had seemed a bit puzzled at first, but she quickly shrugged it off while I looked on innocently.

By the age of three I had control of my shielding ability enough to be able to pick up multiple items and move them by wrapping my shield around them and mentally moving my shield. It came in handy at night when I was in bed and didn't want to get up and go to my bookshelf to retrieve books, instead I simply wrapped a shield around my chosen book and moved it until it was in my hand.

I did find that while wrapping shields around myself and others, and moving small things didn't take any energy, if I tried to move large things it became very tiring. Like the time I decided to move my bed around my room. I could only lift it about a foot in the air before I started to feel slightly drained of energy (not a whole lot, but noticeable nevertheless).

These days I tended to only use my shields if I was protecting myself from a fall, which happened regularly with my clumsiness, or if I was feeling particularly lazy and didn't want to get up to get something.

Of course, I never used it in front of people, I had no desire to stand out from a crowd, and I tried to fit in as much as a plain, clumsy kid could. I also had no desire to have people prod and poke me if they found out what I could do, so I kept silent, as my gift was fairly easy to hide, no one suspected that I was anything other than ordinary.

But even though I tried to fit in, I knew I was different, and because I wanted to keep my ability a secret I was always a bit wary of people.

My mother interrupted my musings by bouncing on my bed in an excited manner, "What do you think of Italy Bella! Isn't it beautiful?" she gushed.

"Yes mum, it's gorgeous," I agreed quietly.

"Good, I'm glad you like it baby, because I've decided to try and find a house here for us to live in." She announced, enthusiasm pouring out of her. "In fact, why don't we go sightseeing, and see a little more of Rome?" she suggested. I agreed and got ready.

Following mum out of the hotel lobby and onto the street, I watched the olive skinned pedestrians making their way along the footpath.

My mother stopped at a shop and struck up a conversation with the lady behind the counter. I decided to wait outside, and walked a little further down the street, keeping a watchful eye on mum, who was still chatting animatedly in Italian.

All of a sudden I felt a shiver of dread run down my back, before strong hands grasped me, forcing a strong smelling cloth to my nose. I tried to scream out, but gagged on the rag. Struggling with all my might I felt the world turn hazy as I slipped into darkness.

I awoke to find myself in the middle of a small room. The single light bulb suspended high above us casting dreary shadows into the corners of the room. I sat up and slowly took in my surroundings. The walls and door seemed to be made completely of metal, as did the floor. The ceiling was a few stories above my head and there were no windows.

As I finished my cursory glance, I was shocked to note three tall figures in the corner of the room. When they saw that I had detected them, they moved towards me. They seemed to glide across the room, their grace making their movements seem effortless.

As they moved into the light I took note of the fact that they were all extremely pale, with dark, bruise-like circles below their eyes. They were all old looking, with skin that appeared fragile and papery, but what was most surprising was their eyes. All three of them had eyes that were dark burgundy in colour.

"Look, our little meal is awake!" The tall man in the middle exclaimed, his long black hair swaying slightly as he leaned down to inspect me.

"What are you? Why am I here?" I trembled as I asked my questions, my mind instinctively wrapping a comforting shield around myself.

"Why aren't you observant small one?" he exclaimed. "Well, normally I wouldn't tell you this, but since you are going to end up dead anyway, we are vampires," he explained, "And quite simply, you are here to be our meal."

I shivered slightly from the thought of being eaten, but I was slightly comforted by the knowledge that my shield was shrouded over me. I had no doubts that they were in fact vampires, as a four year old I had an active imagination, and I could see that they were definitely not human, nor did they have a reason to lie when they clearly thought that I was going to be their meal.

As I quickly process the admission of the vampires, I felt my curiosity suddenly bubble to the surface. If I had ever listed my faults, curiosity would have been at the top of the list. I had always been too curious for my own good, simply having to know anything and everything.

Realising that they couldn't hurt me, curiosity quickly overcame fear as I looked closely at the three tall old men before me. "So do you burn in the sun and sleep in coffins like Dracula?" I asked, inquisitiveness burning in my tone.

The first man laughed uproariously, while the other two managed to crack small smiles. "No, my dear, thankfully we don't, in fact we sparkle in the sun, and we don't sleep at all." He explained. "Oh, so what are your names?" I asked, intrigued by the answers he was giving me.

"I am Aro, and there are my brothers, Caius and Marcus." He said, pointing to each of his companions in turn.

"I'm Bella," I replied softly, holding out my hand. He took it eagerly, and I became confused as his face quickly became confused, before a blank mask overtook it.

He softly released my hand, muttering, "You are the most interesting individual I have ever met in my thousands of years." His brothers looked at him curiously, while I patiently waited for an explanation. He sighed, "You see young Bella, some vampires have gifts, which they get when they become vampires, and usually it is something carried over from their human life which becomes stronger. Marcus here can see relationships between people."

"I myself am able to see every memory and thought that a person has ever had as soon as I touch their hand. In all my thousands of years as a vampire I have never come across anyone who was an exception to that until now. You Bella are the first person that my gift has not worked on."

While his revelation about other beings with special abilities like mine was surprising, I was relieved that my shield also worked against this surprising development.

It suddenly occurred to me that they hadn't tried to eat me yet. "Why haven't you eaten me yet?" I asked, confused, before I realised that I should gain as much information as possible before they decided to drink my blood. "And where are we?"

"Well, little Bella, we haven't eaten you yet because we are trapped in this room with you and we are saving you to give us strength when we try to escape."

I was puzzled, 'Aren't vampires really strong and fast? Can't you just smash a hole in the wall, or rip the door off?"

Aro chuckled, "Unfortunately my dear, our captors have made it so that even a slight pressure on the walls will cause it to burst into flames, the one and only thing that can kill vampires. So we have been trapped in here for nearly a month now."

I mulled that over for a little while before I decided to test the walls. With my shield secure, I confidently walked up to the wall and held out my hand to push against it.

"NO!" Aro shouted, dashing forward to stop me from burning myself to a crisp, but he stopped as flames poured out where my hand touched the wall. All three watched in amazement as the flames danced along my arm without burning it.

I finally stepped back and the flames died out. I turned to find all three vampires examining me closely.


	2. Escape

"That's quite a gift you have young Bella, "Aro's eye glinted with sudden interest. It is very similar to a vampire I know called Renata, she is able to manipulate a physical shield around herself, and even push it out onto others." He explained.

"You know someone who has shield like me?" I asked, I was suddenly burning with a need to meet this person.

"Indeed, in fact I'm sure I would be able to let you meet her if you can help us get out of here." Aro proposed.

"You won't eat me?"

"Of course not Bella, you are far too intriguing, if you can help us out of here we would be in your debt." He explained.

"We need to know whether you can extend your shield to cloak all of us." Caius finally spoke up.

I nodded shyly in response to his question. "I can shield all of you at once." I admitted. I concentrated until I saw them all covered in a white mist. "I have you all shielded." I announced.

"How long can you hold the shields around us Bella?" Aro enquired.

I shrugged, "I don't know, the longest I've held them around others is a couple of hours, but I can hold mine constantly.

"How interesting," Aro's eyes were bright with interest. "What...

"This is all well and good, but now that we know she can keep her shield around us, do you think we could put off the questions until we escape?" Marcus asked, cutting off Aro's questing.

"Oh, of course, how rude of me," Aro apologised, "Now, how are we getting out of here?" They all turned to look at me.

I looked around the room, and decided that the door would be the easiest. Walking towards it I pushed out a fifth shield and slammed it against the door. Flames roared out of it, but they quickly died down as the door flew backwards to reveal a simple room with three stunned occupants.

Aro, Caius and Marcus quickly stepped through the hole, and I unshielded them once they were through. They immediately headed for the three men, one of which I recognised as my abductor, and I watched with fascination as the three vampires attacked and drained our captors. Their grace amazed me as they leaped for their prey, their sharp teeth quickly finding the jugular and biting down. In a matter of seconds three lifeless and bloodless human bodies lay on the floor in front of 3 sated vampires, whose eyes were now bright red.

I felt a momentary sense of guilt as I realised that I didn't feel sorry for the dead men. They had after all kidnapped me to feed to three hungry vampires.

Once they were finished, and they had destroyed all evidence in the building that there had ever been vampires there, we exited the building and I noticed that the sun was just setting. I realised that I had been away from Renee for about three hours. I knew she'd be worried sick by now.

I was distracted from my thoughts by the three vampires beside me arguing about what they were going to do with me.

"We can't just let her go," Caius argued, "What if she tells someone about us?"

"We owe her our lives. We can't just kill her, Aro already promised her that we wouldn't, and we can't turn her because she's too young. There's no way we want to deal with an immortal child." Marcus disputed.

Aro sighed, "How old are you Bella?"

"Four." I answered. I watched as their faces became surprised. "You are incredibly intelligent for someone your age." He observed. His face turned thoughtful as he internally considered options.

I decided that now would be a good time to remind him of his other promise. "I would still like to meet Renata, and I would love to know more about vampires." I stated, I was still incredibly curious about them.

Aro sighed, "Yes of course little Bella, I wouldn't dream of doing back on my words, however there are more pressing matters that need attention first. Your parents will undoubtedly be looking for you, and we have to decide how to explain why you are with us and how you got here." He explained.

"You mean we're going to let her go?" Caius asked outrage evident in his voice.

"You are forgetting Caius that even if we wanted to, we can't kill her because of her shield." Aro reminded him. "I think our best option is to keep an eye on her as she grows to make sure she doesn't tell anyone, and turn her when she is fully grown." He proposed.

"You mean I'm going to have to be a vampire when I grow up?" I asked, suddenly concerned. "Will I have to kill people and drink blood?" I started shaking at the thought.

"Calm down little one, it won't happen for at least another decade of two, and I supposed if you are that opposed to killing people, we can find other options for you." Marcus assured me. I relaxed slightly.

"Now that we've decided what to do, we need your promise that you won't tell anyone about vampires." Caius was evidently feeling reassured now that they had a plan.

"I promise." I solemnly said. I had absolutely no intentions of telling anyone about this. Even in the unlikely event that they would believe a four year old hadn't made it all up, I knew that I would have to reveal my gift as well, something I was never planning to do.

They continued discussing the best ways of keeping any eye on me before they finally agreed on a plan that hinged on me convincing my mother to find a house in Volterra, a small Italian city situated a couple of hours from Rome.

We finally made our way to the hotel where I was staying, I had been given a piggyback ride from Marcus as they swiftly moved through the streets, only slowing to a human pace when we got close to the city centre and there were more people.

We walked into the lobby, to find my distraught mother crying as she talked to the hotel manager. She looked up as we came in, and her tear stained face lit up when she noticed me on Marcus' back. He lowered me to the ground and I ran into her waiting arms, looking up at her relieved face as I hugged her.

She straightened after a moment, turning to the three vampires who were silently watching our reunion. "Thank you so much for bringing her back!" She exclaimed, "What happened?"

"Well Mrs..."Aro trailed off suggestively.

"Swan," Renee supplied.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, I am Aro Volturi, and these are my brothers Marcus and Caius." He introduced them before starting on our prearranged story. "My brothers and I were walking down the street when we saw a man ruin up to little Bella here and snatch her, putting a chloroform soaked cloth over her face. He then ran away, carrying her limp form.

"My brothers and I then chased him into the outskirts of town, where we lost him, but we kept looking anyway, and eventually found him again.

"When we came upon him and he saw how close we were, he dropped Bella and ran off. We waited with Bella until she woke up, and told us who she was and where she was staying and then we brought her back." Aro explained in a perfectly smooth voice, which betrayed no uncertainty.

"Thank you again! What can I do to thank you?" Renee asked.

The three vampires grinned at her question. Well Mrs Swan, we happen to be the founders and teachers of a special school in Volterra that specialises in gifted students. We only have ten students at any time, and they are given advanced learning programs to suit their capabilities..." I droned out as Aro continued to describe the virtues of the non-existent school which I would be pretending to attend so that they could keep an eye on me, and I could learn about vampires and develop my shield.

"We have talked to Bella, and it is clear that she is an incredibly gifted child." I couldn't help noticing that his choice of words noted my gift, rather than my intelligence. "We feel that she would make an excellent addition to our school and we would like to offer her a full scholarship." Aro explained.

Mum looked slightly dazed by his voice as she processed what he had told her. "That's quite a generous offer."

She finally turned to me. "What do you think Bella? Do you want to go to this school?"

It was time for me to act, "Oh yes please mum!" I jumped excitedly, "They were telling me all about it on the way here, did you know the school is held in a castle?" I exclaimed.

My enthusiasm must have been convincing, "Well if you really want to go dear, I think this would be a wonderful opportunity for you, so I guess we're moving to Volterra." She decided.

"Yay!" I jumped up and down animatedly, not even needing to fake it because I really wanted to meet the other vampires and learn more about my shield.

I let Renee sort out the details of the school with them, waiting patiently until they were done, and finding that we would be going to Volterra in the morning to start looking for a house.

When they finally finished mum and I bid the brothers good night and made our way up to our room.

I fell asleep early that night, exhausted by the day's events, but with my curiosity still burning for more information about the mythical creatures I had encountered.

Within a week Renee and I had found a small house to buy in Volterra for a really cheap price (Which I found out later was due to my vampire connections), and she had found a job illustration children's books for a local author, and working at the children's library.


	3. Schooling

I was excited. I was finally ready for my first day of school. Renee and I had been taken on a tour of part of the castle a few days ago, where mum was shown a couple of rooms with desks, chairs, laptops etc. To make them seem like normal classrooms. She had then met some of my "teachers."

All in all, she had been very satisfied with the knowledgeable demeanours of the staff, and the classroom setup. I chuckled, imagining her reaction if she had realised that their knowledge had come from centuries of living, rather than the few decades they appeared to be.

I said goodbye to Renee outside the castle entrance before heading through the doors alone to meet some of the world's most dangerous predators.

Once I closed the doors, I was startled to find two large male vampires suddenly appear in front of me. I calmed myself, and gave myself a mental reminder to get used to the extreme speed that vampires moved at.

"Hi, I'm Felix," The larger of the two introduced himself.

"And I am Demetri." The second vampire stated.

"It's nice to meet you," I said, shyness suddenly overcoming me. "I'm Bella."

"Well, you're just as cute as Aro said." Felix cooed at me.

I snapped. I hated being called cute. I pushed out a shield and sent him flying into the wall. "Don't call me cute." I glared at him.

Demetri started laughing uproariously at his partner's misfortune. "Felix, I can't believe you just got smashed into a wall by a four year old!" he choked out between laughs. "Well done Bella! You looked like an angry kitten."

I gritted my teeth and sent him flying into the wall too. "I'm not a kitten," I hissed.

He was saved from replying by the entrance of Aro, Marcus and Caius, who had stood to the side, watching the display with amusement. "Well done Bella, I can see that you are going to fit in well here." Aro congratulated me. I smiled smugly at Felix and Demetri, who both wore appropriately abashed faces.

"I'm glad you can keep Felix and Demetri in line." Aro continued, "Because they will be your personal guards while you are here." They looked dismayed at the thought of babysitting me, but quickly composed themselves when Aro glanced at them.

They led me away to another room where there were seven other vampires all waiting, curiosity evident in their expressions as their eyes raked up and down me.

Aro proceeded to introduce everyone. "This is my mate, or wife Sulpicia." He proudly indicated the tall, beautiful women closest to the door, her brown hair billowing around her shoulders as she leaned down to shake Bella's hand. "Welcome little one," She smiled at Bella before withdrawing her hand.

Aro moved on to the next in the line. This lady exuded grace and beauty, her expression soft and kind. "This is my Marcus' wife Didyme."

She effortlessly knelt until she was at my level before drawing me in for a soft hug. "Welcome Bella, you have caused quite a stir here with your talent. We are glad to have you around; nothing has been this interesting and surprising for us in nearly a millennium." She observed. I smiled softly back at her, before turning to the next lady.

This lady was tall and very glamorous, her long mahogany hair was artfully style in waves, and her clothes were bright and looked designer in origin. "I am Heidi," she introduced herself, smiling at me.

The next two in line appeared to be twins in their early teens. They both had angelic, childlike features, with pale blonde hair.

Aro introduced them as Jane and Alec before moving onto the woman I had been waiting anxiously to meet.

Renata was relatively plain looking in comparison to the stunning beauty of the other female vampires in the room, but she was still inhumanly beautiful. I greeted her enthusiastically before turning towards the last vampire in the room. He smiled down at me before introducing himself as Santiago.

"Santiago will also be one of your guards if Felix or Demetri is needed for something else." Aro added. I looked at him confused.

"Why do I need a guard? I can take care of myself."

It was Caius that answered. "Bella, occasionally we have visitors who would probably want to eat you, as well as other vampires staying in the castle who aren't as restrained as us. Your guard will make sure that no other vampires can get to you, and keep you out of sight of any vampires other than us." He paused; allowing me to process thins before continuing.

"Also, other than the vampires in this room, nobody else is to know about you." He puzzled expression, and hurriedly continued. "You see, by allowing you to live we are breaking our main rule." I nodded, Aro had explained about the vampire rules and the Volturi royalty during our walk back to the hotel in Rome. "So we can't allow anyone else to find out about you. There are other vampires in the world who are enemies, and would view you as a pet of ours and try to kill you as revenge against us. They also might view us as weak for leaving you alive and try to overthrow us, or view you as a liability because you know what we are and try to kill you so that you can't tell anyone." He explained.

I nodded in understanding. "So I have to have Felix and Demetri babysit me?" I clarified.

Aro chuckled, "I'm afraid so my dear."

My school days passed quickly and without problems as I learnt my lessons from the ten vampires. I had found out that they had actually registered as a private school, making up fake students to fulfil the requirements.

Every now and then I had to sit tests to show my mum how well "school" was progressing.

I got along well with all of the vampires, finding to my surprise that I seemed to fit in better with them than I ever had with humans.

Each of the vampires had their own interests, and they all taught me different things.

Aro taught me about mythological creatures, not only about the traits of vampires, but also describing in detail werewolves, fairies, witches, and shape shifters. I was surprised to learn that there was a tribe of wolf shape shifters in La Push, very close to Forks where I had been born. I was even more surprised to find out about another tribe in Africa that could shift into lions.

Marcus and Caius taught me about literature, expanding on my already strong interest in classics by showing me their favourite novels of all time, and telling me real life stories about some of the authors. They also both had a passion for chess, which I quickly picked up. They were only too happy to teach me, and I was soon developing my own tactics and strategies until I occasionally beat one of them.

Didyme quickly discovered my love of music, and taught me to play the harp, which I quickly came to love. She also found her favourite music throughout the last millennium, and with her guidance I developed my taste in music, Debussy quickly becoming my favourite composer, with Clair De Lune being my favourite song.

Jane taught me about technology, especially mobile phones and computers, to the point where I could hack into any government agency, or secret service in the world.

Alec's enthusiasm for history made him my geography and history teacher, and I quickly learned all I could about different countries throughout the ages, learning their languages as well and extracting promises from all ten vampires that when I was older they would take me to visit some of my favourite countries.

Heidi taught me maths, surprising me with her passion for formulas, which contradicted her supermodel appearance.

Sulpicia was also surprising, her interest was science, and she was an excellent teacher, always allowing me to do fun experiments.

Santiago taught me about mechanical things, and I quickly mirrored his passion for cars, learning all I could about current cars and cars throughout history, as well as engines etc. I had already had Santiago promise me that he would teach me to drive once I was tall enough to see over the steering wheel.

I quickly got used to being shadowed everywhere by Felix and Demetri, although I regularly apologised for having to have them follow me everywhere, I imagined that it would be an incredibly boring thing to do every day. But they assured me that it was the most interesting thing they had done in years.

They taught me to fight, which I found incredibly fun. They soon realised that even if they ganged up on me they couldn't beat me because the moment they grabbed me I would push out my shield and throw them off, or cast shield around them and freeze them in place, or levitate them off the ground by moving the shield wrapped around them up into the air.

They always grumbled when I left them hanging, while I laughed at them.

Renata was of course in charge of helping me learn more about my shield and how to develop my control. Aro liked to observe these lessons and I soon found that I could catch things midair with my shield and throw them back, which led to some interesting games of football.

After only a couple of days though, Aro announced that he thought I had a second shield, a mental one. He explained that the power he had, as well as those of Jane and Alec, were all mental powers. Jane's power was making people think they were burning, while Alec made them feel nothing. Neither power worked on me, leading Aro to the conclusion that I must also have a mental shield.

After a lot of concentration, and time, I soon found my second shield. My mental shield was also visible to me when it was on others, and with practise I was soon able to wrap it around others as easily as a physical shield. The only difference was that the mental shield was a see-through bright blue colour. When I wrapped both shield around someone, the combined colours made it look like a light blue coating.

The only exception to my mental shield was me. Even though I obviously had a mental shield around myself, mine was not able to be seen, and it was extremely had to push away. I usually only succeeded in pushing it away for less than a minute before I got distracted and it would snap back.

The years raced by as Renee and I continued to live happily in Volterra. Every year I would go back to Forks and spend two weeks with my Dad, and the rest of my time was spent with mum, or with my vampire family.

By the time I was eight I had excellent control of my shields, to the extent where when Felix and Demetri tried to ambush me- a regular occurrence, I could not only cast a shield around myself before they pounced at vampire speed, but I could also instantaneously cast shield around them and freeze them in place.

We had also figured out that my range for both of my shields was five miles, and I had worked on my personal mental shield to the point where I could keep it away from me for nearly twenty minutes, although it still required concentration, and I still couldn't see why I would want to do it anyway, but Aro and Renata thought it would help strengthen my shields.

Due to my eagerness to learn, excellent teachers and photographic memory, I was now a proficient musician, chess player, hacker and mechanic. I had also already fluent in Italian, French, Latin, German, Spanish, Cantonese, Mandarin, Japanese, Chinese and Portuguese, all of which I spoke regularly with the vampires to keep practise. I was already smart enough to pass senior high school tests, and mum was particularly proud of the accomplishments that we had told her about.

Even the vampires were proud of me, glowing with pride as they gave me presents on my eighth birthday. All of the present were expensive, mostly jewellery including large, clear priceless diamonds and solid 24 carat gold.

I had quickly learned in the last four years that the Volturi vampires were incredibly rich. Money was of no concern for them, having spent the last couple of millennia acquiring it, and they spent whatever they felt like.

This became evident the first time Heidi took me shopping, which turned out to be a marathon, as she dragged me into shop after shop and bought me over $20, 000 worth of clothes, shoes etc. In one day.

Despite my protests at first about them spending money on me, I quickly realised that they were hurt by my protests, and I soon learned to accept what they gave me with good grace, even the black card they gave me when I turned six.

All in all, at the age of eight, I was very comfortable with my life.


	4. Back to America

BPOV (Bella is now 8)

Not long after my eighth birthday, I found out that the author mum worked for had retired, and Renee, who had always been rather flighty, decided that it was time for us to move back to America.

I was distraught for days when I found out I was leaving, and all of the vampires were depressed to find out that their favourite little human was leaving Volterra. Felix and Demetri had especially grown attached after spending four years as my guards, and even volunteered to go with me until they found out that Renee wanted to move to sunny Phoenix, Arizona.

Seeing how upset we all were, Aro managed to charm my mother into a different deal. In the end, the new arrangement was that I would spend six months with mum in phoenix every year, then "board at school" in Volterra for the other six months of the year so that I could maintain my advanced education course.

Once I heard the new plan I was relatively excited, although a bit scared. I'd never been to a real school before, and I was worried about having to try and fit in with so many other people. The only real friends I currently had were vampires.

Heidi and Didyme tried to reassure me, they were sure that the other children would love me, and they thought that it would be good for me to experience some normal human activities, such as school.

Bearing these assurances in mind, I packed the stuff I was taking to Phoenix, and had Felix and Demetri take everything I was leaving in Volterra to the castle.

I was to be given my own tower, with an extremely large living area including an open lounge, kitchen and music room on the first floor. My large bedroom, with an ensuite and an enormous wardrobe (Heidi insisted so that she had somewhere to put all the stuff she bought me) was at the top of the tower, with floor to ceiling windows giving me an uninhibited and picturesque view of Italy.

Sulpicia, Didyme, Heidi and Jane had helped me pick out a white, silver and blue colour theme for my tower, and promised to decorate and furnish it while I was away.

With a saddened heart, I bid my vampire family goodbye, hugging each of them in turn and hopped in the car with my mother for the long drive to the airport. As we drove I fingered their parting gift to me. It was a ¾ inch wide, 24ct white gold cuff bracelet engraved with a pattern of ten freesias linked with lavender sprigs. At the centre of each freesia a clear ½ ct diamond was embedded.

The freesias and lavender represented me, and was because to them my scent smelt like a combination of both flowers. The twelve diamonds represented each member of my vampire family, for their durability, and because, like diamonds, they sparkled in the sun. It was my favourite gift from them because of its sentimental value. I smiled as I looked down at it, now secure safely to my wrist. I had no intentions of ever taking it off.

The flight to Phoenix was uneventful, and I slept most of the way. When we finally collected our luggage, left the airport and found our way to the house mum had bought, I was surprised to find how much I liked the small yellow house in front of us.

The house was situated within walking distance of the beach and the school mum had enrolled me in. I would be in 3rd grade there, Aro, Marcus and Caius had warned me to act like I didn't know the answers to everything, because I would stand out, and we didn't want anyone asking questions.

Over the next week we quickly unpacked, brought new furniture, and settled in to our new home. I found myself loving the beach, and I regularly dragged mum there so that I could play in the waves. I mentally added learning to swim to my To Do list, absently wondering whether I could convince my vampires to install a pool at the castle.

School was an interesting experience for me. Due to spending a lot of my time with vampires, my hearing had developed to the point where I could hear a vampire whisper from about 20 feet away- a trait that was useful for overhearing Felix and Demetri's plans to ambush me. My sense of sight and smell had also heightened, along with a sixth sense for knowing when people are watching, or creeping up on me- also handy to for foiling Felix and Demetri.

Because of my excellent hearing, I could hear the whispers about me. People were making up wild rumours for the first couple of weeks about the pale new girl. I hadn't even considered the fact that everyone else in Phoenix had a tan from spending time in the sun, while I was very pale. In addition, my Italian accent, developed from my time in Italy, stood out like a fox in a henhouse.

Some of the snider comments made me wince;

"I heard she was locked up in a mental institution and they just let her out. That's why she isn't tan"

"My mum said that she heard from a lady at the library that she's from some weird country, so she's not like us."

I rolled my eyes at that, surprised that they thought being from another country was weird.

After the first few weeks though, the rumours died down, and I fell into a regular routine. I kept fairly quiet at school, never volunteering to answer questions, and avoiding talking to teachers when possible. At home, I enjoyed spending time with my mum, and I soon took over the cooking duties when I found out how much I enjoyed it.

I talked to my Volterra vampires a couple of times a week, glad that I didn't have to worry about the time difference since they didn't sleep. They were always encouraging, and eager to learn about my weeks, especially school, since when they were born there hadn't been school. I sometimes got the feeling that they were living vicariously through me.

I soon found that Santiago had gotten me subscriptions to Car & Driver and Road & Track car magazines. When I called to thank him he simply replied, "Well the chances of you getting to play with any real cars over there are pretty slim, and you need to keep up to date on the cars coming out. You can pick out the one you want us to get you as a coming home present. It's time we taught you to drive."

I couldn't contain my squeal of delight at this, and I spent a lot of my free time researching for the perfect car in the next few months.

Not to be outdone by Santiago, the others also regularly sent me things. The day I started school, I came home feeling a little sorry for myself after being subjected to everyone whispering and staring. I was cheered up immediately by what awaited me in the living room. A beautifully carved harp, a baby version of a concert grand harp, was sitting there courtesy of Didyme. It was a duplicate of my one in Volterra, made especially for me due to my size. Didyme also regularly sent me blank music sheets for composing, and music pieces to play, along with the latest CD's of musicians and bands that I liked.

It soon became common for me to come home after a particularly boring day of school to immerse myself in music for a few hours.

Heidi constantly shopped for me online, having everything wither sent to me or stored in my tower in Volterra, as well as subscribing me to five different fashion magazines. She also sent me complicated maths equations to do when I was feeling like my IQ had dropped 50 points from being in a normal school, while Sulpicia sent me medical journals and quantum physics books to read.

Marcus and Caius sent me many first editions of classic books, and any other literature they thought I would find interesting. They also had Jane send me a chess program for my computer, which I played to keep up my skills, although that soon became a bit boring when I won every time, even on the hardest level.

Taking a leaf out of Santiago's book, Alec got me subscriptions for National Geographic and History Magazine. "Pick out your favourite countries, and when you get back we'll take you to visit some of them," he promised. I spent the time I could spare from choosing a car, excitedly looking at different countries around the world to explore.

Jane subscribed me to six different computer magazines, and regularly sent me new parts and programs for the state of the arc laptop she had given me before I left.

Felix and Demetri sent me books on the different styles of fighting throughout the world, everything from ju-jitsu to aikido and boxing. When they found out that almost everyone else had gotten me magazine subscriptions, they immediately signed me up to receive 3 martial arts magazines.

Aro had a different approach. He sent me popular books and movies about mythical creatures so that I could laugh at how wrong the creators were. Dracula was a particular favourite.

They also got me subscriptions to two children's magazines to help me learn more about people my age, and so that I would understand what the other kids at school meant when they talked about certain celebrities, or TV programs.

All in all, at the start of every month I would receive 20 magazines in the mail, which I would eagerly peruse, then discuss with my vampires.

I did eventually make a few tentative friends. Chantal was a sporty girl in my class, who originally started talking to me because of my accent. We became friendly mainly because we were opposites. She was sport and loud, I was clumsy and shy, but I wasn't complaining, mainly because I was eager to have anyone as a friend, and I didn't mind not being able to get a word in edgeways in a conversation.

Being friends with Chantal meant that I met her best friend and neighbour, Breeze. Breeze was relatively quiet, but not shy. She would happily speak out quite bluntly when she wanted too, but only spoke up when she wanted to be heard.

I managed to fake my way through conversations about stars and their favourite TV shows, often discretely pulling out the iPhone Jane had sent me and googling information during the conversation. Occasionally I even watched some TV, although I preferred to read books or play music.

The weeks passed by quite quickly, and I found myself enjoying my new life quite a lot, I even got invited to a few sleepovers, which involved lots of talk about makeup, clothes and boys as well as lots of singing, junk food and manicures.

With the exception of junk food, and the actual sleeping part, the sleepovers reminded me of Heidi, and I was looking forward to seeing my vampires again.

When the time came to head back to Volterra I gave my mum a tearful goodbye after saying a reluctant goodbye to Chantal and Breeze. I was surprised to find that I was slightly nostalgic, but it was quickly brushed aside as enthusiasm to be back in Volterra took its place.

I had finally picked out the car I wanted and sent Alec a list of all the places and countries I wanted to visit. I excitedly hopped on the plane, eager to see my vampire family again.


	5. Lessons

BPOV

Over the next two years I greatly enjoyed my time in both countries.

When I first got back to Volterra, I found that, as promised, my tower was now decked out with a supersize flatscreen TV mounted on the wall, combined with the best sound system money could buy, and every type of gaming system possible. A comfortable white leather lounge suite sat in front of it, and on the coffee table was a beautiful chessboard made of ebony and ivory.

In a different corner of my open living area was a large desk with a computer customised by Jane, complete with two 32inch monitors. While in a separate area, to the back of the room, was a large kitchen which would make chefs drool, with a plethora of shiny new kitchen appliances resting on the granite counter. My room now had a huge king size bed complete with electric blanket, and a soft white, silver and blue comforter.

All around my tower there hung priceless original paintings, each more beautiful than the last.

I also found, to my delight that, after finishing the furnishing of my room, and stocking my closet and bathroom, they had fulfilled my last request and taken out the stairs that had led to my bedroom. My bedroom was now 100 feet above the floor below, and the only way to get to it was to levitate myself there using my shield. It was just high enough that vampires couldn't jump to it, and could only get up if I wrapped a shield around them and brought them up. This made it a perfect getaway from everyone, where I could have uninterrupted quiet time if needed.

I settled easily into a new schedule. Santiago had been as good as his word, and a shiny, new, silver Audi R8 had been waiting for me on arrival, although I learnt to drive in the castle's other cars because I had no wish to crash my brand new car.

Driving lessons quickly became one of my favourite parts of the day. I started off in an Ariel Atom at a private track, with Santiago running at vampire speed beside me and teaching me how to control the small vehicle. Being an overexcited eight year old that was just learning to drive, I managed to crash on my first lesson.

I had been begging Santiago to let me go faster, stating that as long as I was going in a straight line it shouldn't matter what speed I was going at. Santiago refused, but, being the stubborn person I am, I ignored him and floored the little Atom. The speed was so exhilarating that I forgot that the end of the track was near and didn't have enough time to stop. Luckily, thanks to my shield, both myself and the Atom were fine, although my pride took a big hit, and there was a large sent in the wall that we crashed into. Santiago of course, couldn't resist teasing me about it for years to come, to my immense embarrassment, and Demetri and Felix, who watched all of my driving lessons, occasionally mentioned the incident to get a rise out of me. "It's times like these that I wish vampires didn't live forever and have perfect memories." I grumbled shortly after the crash as all three vampires laughed at me.

Eventually I managed to learn to drive properly, end I quickly enjoyed the speed of the cars. Santiago wanted me to be able to control any type of car and I had progressed to a Hummer after the Atom, before quickly moving to a Pagani Zonda. I tried many different cars, from muscle cars to exotics before I finally began driving my Audi almost exclusively.

Santiago's driving lessons included racing, drifting, and drag races, as well as burnouts and a plethora of car tricks. Of course, Santiago also continued to show me the best ways to boost my cars performance, and I was soon tuning my Audi under his ever watchful eyes.

Although I hadn't been able to convince my vampires to install a pool, they had enrolled me in swimming lessons at the public pool, and I quickly learned that I was much more graceful in the water than I was out of it, much to Felix and Demetri's surprise.

Now that I lived in the castle, Felix and Demetri decided that I had time to spare, so they taught me how to play different games on the multiple gaming systems they had had installed in my room. I have to admit I enjoyed competing against them at Mario Karts and Halo a lot more than I let on, and it was amusing to watch two vampires who were centuries old pout at me when they lost.

Most of my other lessons were still fairly similar, only more advanced, and I still enjoyed them all. One of the others that changed was Alec's lessons. Now that he had my list we regularly took weeks off to travel to a different country and explore- choosing weeks when the weather was forecast to be overcast so that we could go outside during the day. Often one or two of the other vampires came with Alec, Felix, Demetri and I. Jane was one of the most regular. She seemed to enjoy being close to her twin, and came on at least half of our trips. The others took turns coming, seeming to enjoy watching my sense of wonderment each time we went to a new location. Heidi especially enjoyed coming along, and dragged me off to the largest shopping centres to buy things for me.

By the time I was ten I had travelled to every continent in the world except Antarctica, and I had added many languages to my repertoire.

Shortly after my arrival in Volterra for another six months, and just after my tenth birthday Aro, Marcus and Caius called me into the meeting room for a discussion.

"Bella, you know we feel like you are part of our family, and you know we are somewhat regarded as royalty amongst the vampire world, so we have a proposal for you." Aro started.

I stared nervously at them, unsure of where this was going.

"We would like to crown you Princess of the Volturi." Aro explained.

To say I was shocked would be an understatement. I could feel tears prick in my eyes as I was overwhelmed with happiness. "I would love to officially be a part of the family." I choked out before succumbing to my happy tears. They all stared at me perplexed as my cheeks were overrun with salty water. I quickly regained my composure and boldly hugged all of them.

All of the vampires were pleased that I had accepted, and I was even presented with a beautiful tiara. I soon started calling Aro, Marcus and Caius my uncles, Didyme and Sulpicia my aunts, and Felix, Demetri, Santiago, Heidi, Jane and Alec my cousins.

There was however, one aspect of my family that I did not like: Their feeding habits. Now that I was old enough to understand that they got their food source by sending Heidi out to "fish," I was not happy with the fact that as a future vampire I might have to take innocent lives in order to live.

I decided to have a very serious discussion with Aro, and I found him in the library, looking up literature on mythical beings to show me. "Uncle Aro, can I talk to you about your feeding habits?" I casually asked, hoping he wouldn't refuse me.

Aro turned to me, confusion in his eyes. "What would you like to know?"

"Well, I know you kill humans to survive, and I know that when I become a vampire I'm going to have to drink blood, but I don't think I would ever be able to kill an innocent person just for food." I explained. I had long ago accepted that my vampire family killed humans regularly for food, but I knew that I didn't want to do that if there was another way to live as a vampire. "Is there any other ways to live?" I asked, hoping there would be some other options.

Uncle Aro sighed, "We thought you might bring this up soon, and you will be happy to know that there is another option." He promised.

"A couple of centuries ago we had a visitor stay with us for around 80 years. His name was Carlisle Cullen, and he had never drunk from a human before."

"He had golden eyes- though they still went black when he was hungry, and he drank exclusively from animals."

I considered this, relief washing over me as I realised that there was another option. Then I realised something, "If it's possible to survive off animal blood, why don't you all do it?" I demanded, looking defiantly up at Uncle Aro.

Aro looked apologetic. "While it is possible to maintain the diet, it is almost impossible for vampires who have tasted human blood to remain on a strict diet of animal blood. It's like the difference between always having plain white rice, and steak."

"Humans taste a hundred thousand times better than animals, and they actually satisfy our bloodlust. From what Carlisle told us, animals fill you up, but they aren't truly satisfying. After millenniums of drinking human blood, we are just so used to it, it's almost like an addiction now." He tried to explain. "It's the type of diet that can really only be maintained if you start it from the moment you are changed. A bit like the saying, 'you can't miss what you've never had.'" He chuckled for a bit. "We used to call Carlisle a vegetarian vampire because of his aversion to our natural food source." He told me.

I mulled the concepts around in my head and finally nodded, accepting his explanation. "So it's possible for me to survive off only animals when I'm changed? I'd never have to kill a human for food?" I clarified.

"Yes." He confirmed. "In fact, if you would like, before your change we could take you to meet one to the covens that adhere to this diet. Maybe even arrange for you to stay with them after your change " He offered.

"There's more than one?" I asked surprised.

"Yes there's Carlisle's coven of course. He now has a family of vampires that follow his diet. I don't know where they are at the moment, somewhere in America I think, but they move around every few years so that Carlisle can maintain his job as a doctor at hospitals." He stopped and waited for his words to sink in.

"Doctor?" I asked, astonished.

Uncle Aro smiled, "Yes, he has such excellent control of his bloodlust that he dedicated his existence to saving lives." He confirmed. I was impressed.

"The other coven of vegetarian vampires, live in Denali, Alaska. They consist of three succubi sisters, and Eleazer and Carmen, a mated couple. Eleazer used to be a part of the Volturi, and his gift is the ability to tel the gifts of others, although i'm fairly positive that it wouldn't work on you. He is a good friend of ours, but when he found his mate he wanted to try a different way of life."

"We still keep in contact with him, and he seems to be quite satisfied. We even mentioned to him that we have recently crowned a new princess," he winked at me. I frowned, worried, "Don't worry though, we didn't tell him you were human, or who you were." He assured me. "You know we can't allow anyone to know we bent the rules and let you live." He reminded me.

I sighed, relieved, "But as a close friend of ours, we wanted to tell him that had crowned a new princess, and that she is extremely powerful. Anyway, it won't hurt to have a few rumours of the new, extremely powerful Volturi Princess floating around. They will all assume that you are a vampire of course." He seemed amused by the thought of it.

"Hopefully it will help vampires fear us, so that they don't go breaking the rules." He explained. "We don't want to have to send out your guard to deal with another newborn war like the ones in South America again." I shuddered; Aro had told me about the newborn wars that had happened, and they sounded horrific. I was happy to let the rumours of me spread through the vampire world if it prevented vampire wars that Felix, Demetri, Santiago and Jane would have to go and break up.

"As far as finding you a vegetarian coven to live with for at least your newborn vampire years, or longer if you get attached, I would recommend Carlisle's coven." He mused. I raised my eyebrows at him. "They have a structure that is more like a family, with three mated pairs, and another male, and they are more integrated into human society. Besides," he mused, "I hear that the single male, Edward has never found a mate..." he trailed off suggestively.

I scowled at him. I'm ten years old uncle Aro," I stated firmly," I'm too young for you to start matchmaking."

He grinned at me, "But not for long my little princess, not for long." He laughed as he walked away, and I gritted my teeth to try and quell the urge to smash him into a wall.

I mulled over the idea of hunting animals for a few days, and even though I had made my decision to be a vegetarian vampire when I was changed, I was having a hard time picturing a vampire hunting a wild animal.

Unluckily for Felix and Demetri, I decided that I wanted to see a demonstration, and that they would be the perfect vampires to show me.

"NO WAY!" they both shouted at me when I asked them. "When we hunt we give ourselves over to our animalistic side, we might end up trying to hunt you instead." They tried to get out of it.

I rolled my eyes. "Oh come on!" I whined, giving them my best pout and puppy dog eyes. "Please?" I begged. "It's not like you could hurt me, even if you could go after me, and I'll have Jane with me." I reminded them.

I could see their resolve waiver, so I decided to go in for the kill. "I'll have extra fighting and gaming sessions with you guys for a whole month." I promised.

They looked at each other for a second and groaned. "All right," they submitted.

"Yes!" I clapped, jumping excitedly.

"Manipulative little princess." Demetri whispered lowly to Felix, who nodded slightly.

I pretended I didn't hear as I waltzed off happily.

The next night I found myself comfortably whipping through the trees on Jane's back as we made our way out of Volterra, and into the forest, with Demetri and Felix in tow. I was feeling exhilarated. I loved getting rides from my vampires, the speed, and rush of trees whizzing past us was energising.

I was enjoying myself so much that I was almost disappointed when we stopped and Jane leaped up into a tree, climbing until we had a clear view of Felix and Demetri below.

Jane silently pointed to a herd of roe deer that weren't too far away. She wrinkled her nose slightly, making a disgusted face as their scent hit her, and muttered, "They don't smell very appetising," before lapsing back into silence.

We watched as down below Felix and Demetri sunk into hunting crouches. I was thankful for my developed sight as I watched them silently speed towards their prey before leaping in the air and landing on the backs of two deer. In a matter of seconds the necks of both animals were broken, and the sharp teeth of the two vampires had sunk into the delicate necks of the deer.

I watched fascinated, and slightly disappointed that it hadn't taken very long. But thankfully, after draining the deer, Demetri caught the scent of a wild boar, and took off after it, with Jane and I following. He had a slight tussle with the boar, goading it until it became angry and tried to gouge him with its tusks, before he finally decided to kill it. He straightened and laughed. "Well he certainly tasted better than the deer." He observed, "Although it was nowhere near as good as humans."

I gave him a patronising glance before I realised that Felix was missing. "Where's Felix?" I asked, puzzled. We backtracked and they picked up his scent, following it until we found Felix in a large clearing, laughing as a large brown bear tried to claw and bite him. His shirt and cloak were now ripped, and he seemed to enjoy watching the confused bear try to kill him. We waited patiently until finally Felix seemed to get bored and put the bear out of its misery.

On the way back Felix's only observations were, "Well, fighting a bear before eating it is much more entertaining than eating a scared human, although it isn't nearly as satisfying to drink." I rolled my eyes at him, and settled back, enjoying my ride home.

The only lessons in the castle that I did not enjoy over the two year period were the dancing lessons that all twelve vampires insisted on. With my clumsiness, I was constantly stepping on Renata's toes as she took over my dance lessons now that I had full control of my shield and could use it to do virtually anything with it, from flying, to picking up things, even as large as trucks, and catching and throwing things, or shielding everyone in a five mile radius with both my mental and physical shields at will.

Secretly, once I had learned the basics, and I wasn't stumbling over Renata anymore, I actually quite enjoyed these lessons, although I still complained loudly, and never let on that I liked them.

Didyme had extended my music studies as well, and when I wasn't off exploring other countries I worked hard, learning to play the guitar, flute, cello and piano, although the harp was still my favourite.

My mother was particularly pleased with how well I was developing, and seemed to enjoy both the times I was with her, and the opportunities that my boarding in Volterra afforded her. She was a free-spirited person who loved trying new things, and in the 6 months of the year when I wasn't there she took night classes in all of her interests, from yoga to cake decorating. While her interests never lasted very long before she was off doing something else that took her fancy, she enjoyed trying new things and I was happy to encourage her, glad she was doing okay without me there to look after her. To me Renee was more like a big sister than a mother, and I always did all I could to help her when I was home.

I was fairly sure that she suspected that there was something different about the Volturi, but she could also tell that they loved having me, and doted on me, so she continued to let them have me for six months of the year, realising that it was an excellent opportunity for me. She loved the fact that they had taken me to visit most of Europe (I hadn't told her that I had been to most of the other continents as well) and I was always sending her pictures of me in other countries.

We were sure that she didn't suspect what they really were, or she would have stopped me from going back a long time ago, but to be safe we usually limited her contact with them to mainly phone calls with Aro, Marcus and occasionally Didyme. I of course, called her every day when I stayed there.

I tended to make a few new friends every time I went back to Phoenix, although I mainly stayed close to Chantal and Breeze, who were always interested in hearing the latest stories about Italy and my time there. I told them what I could, leaving out a few details here and there.

Life continued on for me quite happily in this style for a few years. I was pleased that both my rather small human family, and my large vampire family, seemed content and happy.


	6. Growing Up

At 15, I was fairly mature, had traveled most of the world under the watchful eyes of my family, and was a proficient musician and linguist, being able to play most instruments, and speak most languages. I had read the majority of the books in Castle Volterra's vast library, and had a thorough knowledge of the history of the world, including humans, vampires and other mythical creatures.

They had given my own black card, which I used sparingly, but I was surprised with how used to spending I had gotten under Heidi's influence, and found that I didn't bat an eye when I paid four million dollars for a beautiful painting I wanted for my room in Phoenix (I never told mum how much it was worth, although I suspected she knew it was extremely expensive).

Santiago was proud the day I got my driver's license, passing the test with ease, much to the tester's surprise. Now that I officially held a drivers license, they bought me a blue and white Bugatti Veyron for my birthday, one of the fastest cars in the world. With the engine boosted it got up to speeds over 450km/h when Santiago and I took it to the Autobahn in Germany.

Santiago also taught me to ride motorbikes, and even taught me how to drive a boat, taking me out on the Tiber River near Rome.

Heidi had also decided that now I was 15, I should have at least one night club experience. Apparently because it would make the other kids back at school think I was cool. I of course, was reluctant for a number of reasons, the first of which was the fact that there was no way I looked old enough to get into a night club.

I had forgotten that when you have money you can get whatever you want, and when we arrived at the club, Felix simply slipped the bouncers large wads of cash and they looked the other way while I walked in.

The first thing on their agenda was buying me some alcohol to try, believing that I should try it at least once before I became a vampire. They ordered me a Cosmo and a tequila shot, and watched eagerly to see what I would think. I sipped at the Cosmo first, grimacing as I tasted the alcohol. It was tolerable, but I didn't particularly like it. I put it down, and hesitantly took a sip of the tequila. It felt like my throat was on flames and I quickly spit it out, coughing and spluttering. The three vampires roared with laughter, and I glared fiercely at them, "I'm never drinking alcohol again." I declared.

One of the other things I had been worried about soon came up when Heidi decided that it was time for us to hit the dance floor. The other people quickly parted for us, leaving us a large space in the middle. People seemed to instinctively shy away from them, something I had gotten used to over the years and barely noticed now. Heidi started moving to the music, dragging me with her and showing me how to move. I was sure I looked terrible, and this was why I had tried to avoid clubbing.

I was however, for the first time in my life thankful for the fact that when I was 13 Heidi had decided that it was time to teach me how to walk in heels. She had forced me to wear them everywhere for months, until she was satisfied that I could do so without stumbling, tottering or falling in them (Although I still occasionally tripped due to my clumsiness). It had been a major source of amusement for Felix and Demetri on the first week as the repeatedly caught me when I overbalanced in my ridiculously high shoes. I had gotten angry over being ridiculed, and secretly practiced every night in my room until I could now comfortably run in high heels without falling over- something I was actually quite proud of.

I still preferred flat shoes though, and even though I was fairly stable, I was very scared of the idea of trying to dance at a club in the extremely high heels Heidi had put me in for the night. I was also very worried that if I did trip over, I would give everyone a peep show due to the fact that Heidi had forced me into an electric blue mini-dress for the night, and it barely came to mid thigh.

After a few songs I managed to escape from Heidi, leaving her surrounded by drooling guys, and I made my way back to the bar and sat on a stool, asking the bartender for a coke. I sipped it, watching my vampires dancing gracefully around the dance floor, and relieved to be off my feet in these killer heels. I was surprised when a guy casually walked up to the bar and asked, "Is this seat empty?" indicating the stool next to me. I frowned at him, disgusted that he would try coming onto me, "Yes, and this one will be too if you sit down," I growled. He seemed surprised by the amount of venom in my voice, but, steeling himself he decided to try again. "How did you get so beautiful?" he asked. I had to give him credit for trying, but he needed to get some better pickup lines. "I don't know," I replied sweetly, a fake smile plastering itself on my face, "I must have gotten your share too." I continued, my gaze quickly turning cold. Felix and Demetri walked up behind me then, and he seemed to get the message, leaving in a hurry as he took in their large, heavily muscled forms.

All in all, I decided that clubbing was definitely not as enjoyable as people made it out to be.

Back in Phoenix, mum had started dating again. I was often amused by her stories of some of her more horrible dates, "You wouldn't believe it Bella, this guy spent the whole date running his hands up my arms and trying to subtly cop a feel of my breasts!" she said indignantly, or, "The guy I went out with yesterday was always making lame jokes, and laughing at them. They weren't even funny Bella." She ranted. "Nobody finds 'What do you call a camel with no humps? - Humphrey!' funny." Sometimes I felt a little bad for her having to survive these bad dates, but I was glad that she normally seemed to have fairly good dates.

I was especially happy for her when she told me she was serious about Phil. Phil was a minor league baseball player, and a couple of years younger than her which was probably a good thing given her childlike tendencies. I teased her about being a cougar, but I was happy for her. When I finally met Phil I got along really well with him. We shared the same tastes in modern music, although he wasn't a fan of classical, and I thought he was perfect for mum.

Castle Volterra got a receptionist when I was 16. Uncle Caius had gotten tired of always having to sort out all the documents and tedious details that came with the upkeep of the castle, and they employed a beautiful woman by the name of Gianna.

Gianna was very friendly, and I quickly made friends with her. She never asked questions about the vampires, or me, and kept her mouth shut about her observations. We were all sure that she knew what they were, her sparkling green eyes missing nothing as she silently watched the castle's activities, but as long as she didn't voice her suspicions, technically they weren't breaking any rules by having her work for them. Aro made sure to shake her hand regularly, checking her thoughts, and we soon realized that she was hoping to be changed at some point. She was very loyal to us, and I respected her greatly for that. She never asked questions about why I would be staying, or where I had come from, and was always very polite.

She also held a great respect for me, because I had saved her life. I had been talking to Gianna about the renovations to a room next to my tower, where my new grand piano would be going, when a hungry vampire walked into the castle, obviously seeking Marcus, Caius and Aro. His eyes were pitch black, and when Gianna absentmindedly flicked her hair, he lunged for her. I had reacted instinctively, cloaking us both in shields, before catching the hungry vampire midair with another shield. Growling at him, I smashed my shield in on itself, quickly leaving the vampire a pile of pieces in the floor.

Felix and Demetri had come running at Gianna's terrified shriek, and arrived just in time to see me smash the vampire into pieces with my shield, my eyes blazing with anger. They stood there shocked for a second, before Demetri pulled a lighter out of his pocket and set the remains on fire.

The next day they gave me my own lighter.

I still saw my dad, Charlie for two weeks every year in Forks. We would spend the time exploring, watching TV, and fishing, where Charlie would fish, and I would sit on the bank and read a book, which we both found relaxing. I refused to go anywhere near the little boat after the fiasco that had happened when I was 11. It was the last time I had ever fished, when one day I had leaned too far over the edge of the aluminium boat, searching for the fish, when I suddenly found myself in the water, having capsized us. I had surfaced with mud all over me, and when I had finally gotten clean, I found that my body was covered with dozens of leeches. I had been subjected to days of torture trying to find them all and get rid of them, and I now avoided the boat like a plague.

We usually went down to the Quileute reservation while I stayed too, as Charlie's best friend Billy lived there and was one of the tribal elders. I was usually a bit standoffish though, knowing that they carried the gene that could turn them into shape shifting wolves. Billy's youngest son Jacob was also a little too nice at times, even though I was two years older than him, and I tried to avoid him when possible.

One of my favorite places on the reservation though was first beach. It was absolutely beautiful, and I loved sitting in the soft white sand and listening to the waves crashing onto the shore.

Inevitably though, the two weeks would quickly come to a close. Charlie always seemed to enjoy having me, and I usually left every year feeling a little guilty that I didn't spend much time with him.

All of this changed the year I turned 17. Much to my surprise, and delight, mum married Phil. I decided that it was time to spend a few years properly getting to know my dad, and my vampires agreed with me, although they extracted promises from me that I would visit for a couple of weeks every year. We were all well away that my deadline to be changed was coming up quickly. We had agreed when I was four that I would be changed before I turned 20, so I only had a few years left as a human.

I knew that Renee and Phil needed to spend time together alone as a newly married couple, and that if I wasn't there she could go with Phil when he had to travel due to his work. While I could have easily gone to Volterra, I would have plenty of time to spend with my vampires after my change, so it was time to pack for Forks.


	7. Forks

Before moving to Forks, I bid my vampire family, and mum and Phil goodbye, taking a few of my favourite things from my tower and my room in Phoenix, including my small harp (there wouldn't be room in my Forks bedroom for a full sized concert grand harp) , guitar, flute, and a few of my favourite paintings. I planned to buy a car when I got there because I had no intentions of riding around in the police cruiser with my father- the Chief of Police. I also couldn't let Santiago ship my Audi R8, or my Bugatti Veyron to the US for me because they would stick out badly in such a little town, and I didn't want that kind of attention. Instead, I figured that I would probably get a small, relatively inconspicuous car that could still go fast- I hated driving slowly. I promised Santiago that I would let him know what I bought so that he could send me the parts I would need to boost the engine and tune the car.

I promised to regularly call and email my vampires, and said goodbye, wondering what life would be like in Forks, with my father and two full years of high school awaiting me.

I had packed lightly, intending to go shopping once I was there, I knew I would need more warm clothes and coats as it was always cloudy in Forks, and rained for at least 300 days a year. Heidi had been disappointed that she wouldn't be able to send me loads of clothes, but I had been firm, knowing that my relatively small closet in Forks wouldn't be able to hold the copious amounts that she normally bought me.

Didyme and Sulpicia had helped me select some of my favourite jewellery to wear to dances and proms, which they made me promise to attend. I hoped the kids at school would think that it was costume jewellery, as some of it used to be crown jewels of England, and was ornate, beautiful and priceless. I didn't need people asking questions about where I had gotten it.

Before I left, I had promised Aro, Marcus and Caius that I would only use my shields if I was in danger, or practising somewhere where I was sure I was alone. I also couldn't tell anyone of my connection to them in the unlikely event that I ran into any vampires. Most importantly, I was under no circumstances to tell anyone I was the Volturi Princess, or tell anyone about my gift. All of these promises I made, I knew that if anyone found out about my give, or my ties to the Volturi I would be in danger, and I fully intended to live my life in Forks like a normal human.

I got off the plane in Port Angeles, easily spotting Charlie in the crowd, his police officer uniform making him stand out. "Hi Dad." I greeted him.

"Hi Bells." He said, hugging me softly. We grabbed my luggage and headed for what would be my permanent home for the next two years.

It was mainly silent as we drove, Charlie wasn't one for small talk, and neither was I. Eventually though, Charlie broke the silence. "Oh yeah, you got about 20 magazines in the mail yesterday." He seemed puzzled.

I smiled. "Yeah dad, they'll be coming every month, I have subscriptions to them all." I explained. The only changes in my magazine subscriptions over the years had been the change of the two children's magazines for Vogue and TV Weekly, the rest were still the same.

I looked down at my cuff, running my fingers softly over it and smiling as I was reminded of my vampires. My cuff had been resized a couple of times over the years as I grew, but it was still the same, the 12 diamonds, combining to a total of 6ct, still sparkling brightly in the sun at the centre of the engraved freesias.

"Oh, and I bought you a car." He said. I inwardly winced, certain that as the police chief he would have chosen the slowest and safest transport possible. I smiled at him, "Thanks Dad, but you didn't have to do that, I was happy to buy my own."

"Oh it's okay Bella. It's Billy's old 1953 Chevy truck, and he sold it to me pretty cheap." He explained, looking pretty proud of himself. "It was just sitting around now that he's in a wheelchair and can't drive."

"Thanks Dad, I really appreciate it." I said sincerely, touched by how thoughtful he had been, although I was already thinking of ways that I could disable the car so I could buy something better. It looked like my plans to not use my shield would be forgotten before we even reached Forks at this rate, as I wondered absently whether I could park the truck on a hill and invisibly push it with my shield until it ran into a tree and crashed.

"It's nothing Bells." He said, "I just want you to be happy here."

I grinned at him, "I'm sure I will be dad." I said, and we soon lapsed back into a comfortable silence for the rest of the drive.

We soon reached home, and I got my first look at the truck Charlie had bought me. I had to admit, it had a certain charm about it, but I doubted that it would go over 50 mph. "Wow Dad, It's charming," I said cheerfully. He seemed pleased that I liked it, and I felt slightly guilty for planning on destroying it.

Charlie helped me bring my stuff upstairs, my instruments and paintings having already arrived by courier a few days ago. He left me to unpack, and I was grateful that he didn't hover. Once I sat down I realised how tired I was, and I decided that now would be a good time to practise with my shields.

I unzipped all of my suitcases and left them open on the floor, and then opened my closet and drawers. I closed my bedroom door and stood behind it in case Charlie decided to come back upstairs. Then I got to work unpacking everything quickly with my shields and placing them in the drawers and closet, extremely grateful for my gift.

Once the suitcases were under my queen sized bed, I set up all of my instruments in a corner of my room, moving my rocking chair over near the window. Then I placed my laptop on the desk next to my bed. The three painting were harder to place. I carefully unwrapped them from the packaging they had been sent in, and held them up against the walls with my shields as I stood in the middle of the room, deciding where to put them. I had just decided where to put them when I heard a soft knock at my door. I softly put the paintings on the floor, scolding myself for nearly revealing my gift on my first day in Forks, and thanking my lucky stars that Charlie knocked first. I opened the door to find Charlie standing there, an apologetic smile on his face. "I'm sorry Bella, but I've got to go down to the station for a couple of hours, one of the guys called in sick" he explained.

"It's okay Dad," I said, assuring him, "I've got to finish unpacking anyway," I lied.

"Okay then. I'll be back before dinner, I'll pick up a pizza or something," he said, making his way back downstairs. I waited until I heard his cruiser leave before proceeding to hang my painting up. I flopped down on the bed and pulled out my iPhone, calling Volterra.

After assuring them that I had gotten here safely and that I was settling in well, I explained to Santiago that it was going to take me at least a few weeks before I could get rid of the truck and get something faster. Santiago seemed to think it was hilarious that I was going to be driving a vehicle that would, undoubtedly, have trouble going over 60 mph.

Slightly cheered by my phone call, I then called Renee and assured her as well that I was fine. She had never liked it here, and she seemed to be afraid that I would hate living here too. In fact she sounded almost puzzled when I said I was fine here.

By the time I had finished with my phone calls, collected my magazines from where Charlie had left them for me on the kitchen table, and hung my paintings, Charlie was back with a pizza. I was relieved to find that we both had the same taste in pizzas, and I soon remembered that Charlie was a hopeless cook. I offered to take over the cooking now that I had moved in. He seemed grateful for the offer, and showed me the jar where the food money was kept. He had next to nothing in the cupboards, so I took the food money and put it in my school bag, deciding that I would have to go shopping after school tomorrow.

I slept peacefully, and woke early in the morning, mentally preparing myself for another day as the 'new kid.' Thanks to my alternations between Italy and America, I had been the new kid many times, and it never seemed to get any easier, what with the stares and whispers. The only consolation was that I knew it would die down within a couple of weeks, even less if something more interesting happened to come along.

I arrived at school early, knowing I would need to get my schedule, and a map before school started. I was one of the first to arrive, and I hurried to the office, avoiding the stares of the few early students.

In the office, I found an older lady behind the desk with a name tag that said Ms Cope. "Can I help you?" she asked.

"I'm Isabella Swan," I explained, "The new student." I watched as recognition dawned.

"Of course, Chief Swan's daughter," she exclaimed. "We've been expecting you." I smiled politely and she gave me my schedule, a map, and a slip to have all my teachers sign and give back to her at the end of the day.

I said goodbye and headed slowly for my first class, taking note of the buildings I passed, and referencing them against the map. On my way I was accosted by an overly zealous guy with blonde hair. "Hi, you must be Isabella, the new girl right?" he asked.

"Just Bella," I corrected.

"Well I'm Mike Newton." He introduced himself, before giving me a spiel about the school. As soon as was politely possible, I extracted myself from the conversation and headed for my class once again, making a mental note to try and avoid Mike.

I managed to make it through the first part of my day, only having to put up with one other guy, called Eric, who wanted to walk me to class. On the bright side, I met a very sweet girl called Angela, and her friends Lauren and Jessica. Jessica, I quickly realised, was the gossip queen of the school, and as we sat down to lunch she filled me in on the latest school gossip.

I glanced over the cafeteria as I half heartedly listened to Jessica before I froze in shock. I blinked, making sure I wasn't just dreaming, but sure enough, at the back of the cafeteria sat five inhumanly beautiful vampires at their own table. They had trays of uneaten food in front of them and were all staring off in different directions. "Who are they?" I asked, cutting Jessica off in the middle of her spiel.

Jessica took a look at the vampires I was staring at. "They are the Cullens," she explained. I was pleasantly surprised by the name, and realised that this must be Carlisle Cullen's coven, which relieved me because I knew they were vegetarians. "They just moved here from Alaska with their parents. They're all adopted. Dr Cullen, their father, and his wife Esme adopted them all."

"That's nice of her." I observed, knowing it would take a very caring person to willingly care for five immortal teenagers.

"Yeah, but I don't think she can have kids of her own or something." She stated, somehow seeming to think that that would make her less of a person. I frowned.

Jess missed my frown, and continued telling me about them. "The small girl with black hair is Alice Cullen, the blonde guy next to her is Jasper Hale, and they're like a thing. The blonde supermodel is Rosalie Hale, Jasper's twin." I internally rolled my eyes, knowing that there was no way they were biologically related. "The big guy with muscles is Emmet Cullen, he's with Rosalie, and the guy with the bronze sex hair is Edward." She finished with a sigh. "But he doesn't date," she warned me, "Apparently no one here is good enough for him" she sniffed, making me wonder when he had turned her down, "So like, don't waste your time."

I chuckled, "I wasn't planning to." I assured her. I continued eating my lunch in silence as I observed them. I watched as Jasper seemed to be in pain, and I could see, even from a distance that his eyes were dark with hunger. I watched as Alice left the table, dumping her food props in the bin as she danced gaily out the door. She was abnormally graceful, even for a vampire.

Rosalie was without a doubt the most beautiful creature I had ever seen, which is saying a lot when you've grown up with vampires. Beside her Emmet and Edward appeared to be having a one-sided conversation. I frowned and listened closely. "Actually Emmet, I'm a bit disappointed, Jessica didn't tell her much about us at all. Only the barest hint of a scandal." Edward whispered. I was very thankful that I had such acute hearing; it was obvious that no other humans would have even noticed they were talking. All of a sudden Edward chuckled, "Yeah, me too." He whispered. I was confused, I was positive that Emmet hadn't actually said anything.

All of a sudden, as if someone had called his name, Edward's head whipped around and he made eye contact with me. I stared back, studying him. He was without a doubt the best looking person, vampire of human, that I had ever seen, his features perfectly angular, with his dishelmed bronze hair, and sparkling golden eyes making him look like a god. He seemed to be confused by me, a frown starting to form on his brow as he continued staring for a moment longer before he seemed to catch himself and looked away just before the bell rang. I quickly dumped my rubbish and walked off to class, trying to avoid Mike and Eric.

I managed to get to the biology room without an escort, and had Mr Banner sign my slip. He welcomed me to the class and told me to take the only free seat in the room, next to Edward Cullen. I turned and made my way towards him, but as I passed a heater I suddenly saw him stiffen as he turned to glare at me. His eyes were now pitch black, a stark contrast to the honey gold they had been at lunch. I knew he was hungry, and I quickly wrapped my shield around myself and prayed that he had enough control to resist trying to eat me, as I quietly sat next to him.

He leaned his chair as far away from me as possible, I could tell he wasn't breathing, and I saw his fingers gripping the edge of the desk tightly. As we silently worked out way through the lesson, with me using my hair as a curtain so that he couldn't see my jugular pulsing, I prayed that he wouldn't lose control, because he would have to kill all of the other people in the classroom if he did to keep his existence a secret. I decided to help him out, and I placed a shield around him, holding his torso in place so that he couldn't move. I knew he wouldn't notice, as he was staying absolutely still, but it would be evident if he did choose to move.

Thankfully the lesson came to a close with Edward still motionless beside me. Just before the bell rang I released the shield around him, and watched as he jumped to his feet the moment the bell rang, racing at a barely human pace, out of the classroom. As I packed up, I saw finger indents in the side of the desk where he had been gripping tightly. I subtly used my shield to smooth out the dents when no one was looking before I headed for my last period of the day- Gym.

I was terrible at sports, and always had been, although I did find it quite entertaining to watch vampires play sport. Due to my clumsiness, gym was by no means my favourite subject, and I have to admit I'd been a bit upset to find that it was compulsory at Forks High. I was given a uniform and told that I could sit out for the day, so I sat on the bleachers and l let my mind wonder to Edward Cullen.

I was confused by his reaction to me in biology. I knew he didn't eat humans, it was evident in his eyes when he wasn't thirsty, and I was confused by the fact that it seemed to be only my scent that set him off. He seemed to have perfect control when he was around everyone else. Then here was his one sided conversation with Emmett. I had a feeling that Edward had a gift.

I was shaken from my thoughts by the bell ringing, and I rushed to my truck eager to get home. As i drove out I noticed that the Cullens had the only nice car in the lot, a silver Volvo. I only barely remembering to stop at the shopping centre to pick up some food, in my rush to get home and talk to Aro.


	8. Family

BPOV

When I got home, I headed to my room and, pressing 1 on my phone to speed dial Volterra. A few moments later Aro answered and I launched into a description of my first day. "Aro, you'll never believe my luck. It seems that I attract vampires wherever I go!" I said. "Forks High school has five vegetarian vampires attending it." I explained.

"The Cullens?" he asked.

"Yep, and apparently their father, Dr Cullen works at the hospital. Ring any bells?" I asked. Not waiting for his reply I continued, "Oh, and they must have a few gifts amongst them. I swear I heard two of them have a one-sided conversation."

He chuckled, "You're right," he confirmed, "Eleazer mentioned a while back that Edward Cullen is a mind reader, Alice Cullen can see the future, based on people's decisions, and Jasper is an empath."

I was surprised, "A very talented family," I murmured, "I'll bet that's why Edward looked frustrated with me, he can't read my mind," I snickered.

Aro laughed with me, "It's probably the first time he's ever encountered someone whose mind he couldn't read." He mused.

"Yeah," I agreed. Then a thought occurred to me. "That's why you suggested that we'd be a good match isn't it!" I accused. "You knew I would be immune to his mind reading!" I was annoyed. Aro stayed silent as a quietly fumed, cursing Aro and his matchmaking. "Don't get any ideas." I warned him.

Then I suddenly realised that I had gone off track, and forgotten about my Biology lesson. "Aro, something happened today with Edward." I paused, unsure of how to describe it. "Edward seemed perfectly fine with all the other students, he didn't look thirsty at all, but the minute he smelt my scent he tensed up, his eyes turned black, and he looked like he was trying to stop himself from killing me." I said describing the strange experience.

Aro immediately sounded concerned, and I could hear my two worried guards in the background mumbling about plans to kill Edward if he even thought about hurting me. "Bella, you are going to have to be very careful around him," Aro warned, "I have a feeling that you are his La Tua Cantante, or his singer. Your blood calls to him. I'm actually surprised that he managed to resist. The memories I have seen from other vampires who have met their singers all showed an irresistible urge to drink their singer's blood. In fact, I've never met a vampire that managed to resist their singer." His explanation made me worried and I felt sorry for Edward.

"Perhaps we should send your guard to Forks to keep you safe." Aro suggested. In the background I could hear Caius and Marcus agreeing.

I saw red. "Absolutely not!" I yelled. "I do not need to be babysat anymore Uncle Aro, and I forbid them to come. I am perfectly able to take care of myself, and in case you've forgotten, I do have a shield." I ranted, furious that he thought I couldn't protect myself.

"I can't believe you would even suggest it, or that Uncle Marcus and Caius would agree. How would we explain why there are suddenly two new vampires in Forks who seem to be mysteriously shadowing me? The Cullens would be sure to notice, in fact Carlisle would recognise them, and wonder what the Volturi wanted with me. That wouldn't be suspicious at all." I finished sarcastically. "Besides, I'm not going to allow Felix an Demetri to hunt anywhere near Forks, so they can't come." I added as an afterthought.

"I'm more worried about what will happen if Edward loses control and tries to attack me in public." I explained. "We would have a hard time explaining why he pounced on me, and an even harder time trying to come up with a good reason as to why I wasn't hurt." I stated.

Aro didn't seem as worried. "I highly doubt he'll hurt you now Bella, now that he's resisted you once, it will probably become easier for him over time, and he should become somewhat desensitised after a while, although I suspect he'll probably try to avoid you as much as possible." He paused for a moment. "Just be careful Bella, we don't want you getting hurt."

I sighed. "I know Uncle Aro, I'll be fine." I assured him.

The next morning I kept a furtive lookout for Edward, but I never saw him. I did see the rest of the Cullens giving me curious glances though. By the time lunch got around I realised that Edward wasn't at school today, and I felt guilty, knowing I was probably the reason for it. As I stood in line, getting my food, I was getting frustrated with Jess, who hadn't stopped talking all day. I realised that there was no way I would manage to make it through lunch if I had to sit next to her and keep listening to her drabble.

I ran through my options, quickly realising that the best way to avoid her would be to sit with the only people in the room that she wouldn't dare approach. I paid for my food and turned away from Jess. As I passed everyone and continued towards the vampires the cafeteria went quiet. I saw Alice's eyes glaze over for a second before she turned to smile confusedly at me.

I could feel the eyes of everyone staring holes in my back as I came to a stop in front of the table. I smiled shyly at them. "Hi, I'm Bella, and I was wondering whether I could sit with you?" I asked. I lowered my voice to a whisper that was barely audible. "Just between us, I couldn't stand listening to more of Jessica's gossip, and I know she isn't brave enough to come over here.' I explained winking. They stared back at me confused for a few seconds before Alice smiled and said, "Sure." The others looked at her like she was crazy, and Rosalie turned to glare menacingly at me, probably hoping that that would stop me.

It didn't. I sat down and proceeded to start eating my lunch. As I leaned down and got a magazine from my bag to read, I heard Jasper whisper to the others, 'She's not afraid of us at all, in fact she's more comfortable sitting with us then she was yesterday sitting with Jess. What a strange human." He muttered. I inwardly laughed, if only he knew just how strange, I thought. I heard Rosalie snort softly, "Who wouldn't want to get away from Jess," she said scathingly.

Acting as if I was a normal human who couldn't hear them, I pulled out my Car and Driver magazine, opening it and drooling over the new Chevrolet Camaro that was coming out, absently wondering whether I should buy one, then realising that I would have no where to put it here in Forks. I sighed and flipped the page.

Rosalie broke the silence then, "Is that this month's issue?" she asked. I was surprised, because, from the glare she had given me, I figured that she probably saw me as a threat to her family. But apparently the ice-queen-slash-supermodel was a sucker for fast cars.

I nodded, "Yeah, I was just looking at the new Camaro, It looks like it would be really fun to drive." I explained, sighing again.

"Yeah," Rosalie agreed, "Although I have to admit that I would prefer a European supercar to a muscle car."

I chuckled, "I know what you mean, I would rather have my Audi R8 than a Camaro." I winced slightly as I realised that I had just given away the fact that I had a very expensive car. Sure enough, they looked mildly surprised. "You have an Audi R8?" Rosalie asked.

I shrugged, "It's in Europe with my extended family," I explained, "It was a birthday present from them, and boy is it fun to drive." I exclaimed, my eyes lighting up as I thought about my car.

"I'll bet it is." Rosalie commented. "I have a BMW M3 convertible," she told me proudly.

"Nice. It suits you." I commented. "Did you install one of those performance packages for them that came out last year?" I asked. She looked shocked that I knew that much about cars, but Santiago had taught me well.

"Yes, and I tuned the engine for racing." She informed me. "It now has a top speed of 250mph."

I whistled in appreciation. "My Audi's the same. I have to admit, it's quite a shock to get here and find that my dad has bought me an old truck that doesn't go over 60mph." I said, slightly dejected by the thought of having to drive so slowly. Rose looked sympathetic. "I think I may have to park it under a big tree and hope the wind blows the tree onto my truck and destroys it." I said seriously. The whole table erupted in laughter.

"I'd be happy to help you with that," Emmett offered, his eyes glinting mischievously.

I smiled at him. "I just might take you up on that."

Alice butted in next. "That's a gorgeous bracelet," she commented, looking at my cuff. "Six carats of top grade diamonds set in 24ct white gold." She murmured, observing it closely.

I inwardly cringed. "Yes, not many people can get all that from just looking at it." I complimented her. "A lot of people seem to think its silver with cubic zirconium." I informed her.

She snorted, and her eyes moved from my cuff to take in the rest of my attire. "You have great taste in clothes," she informed me. "I love your shirt, the designer is one of my favourites." I smiled at her obvious approval of my outfit. Heidi would be happy.

I continued talking with her and Rosalie about fashion until the bell rang. I put my magazine back in my bag and reluctantly left them. As I got a few steps away Alice called, "Have fun in Biology." I frowned suspiciously at her, and my suspicions were confirmed when I heard her whisper to the others, "Mike's going to interrogate her about her sitting with us." I left the cafeteria and groaned, trudging unwillingly in the direction of the classroom.

As I was sitting down at alone at my lab table I saw Mike enter the class and head for me. I grimaced, I knew what was coming. "Hey, why did you sit with the Cullens today?" he asked.

"Because I felt like it," I answered, "Am I not allowed to sit with them or something?" I asked.

"No, it's just that they don't really talk to anyone other than their family, and they're a bit weird." He explained. "You should sit with us tomorrow." He concluded, smiling at me.

I could feel my anger rising. "I can sit wherever I want Mike, and I would appreciate it if you didn't make nasty comments about them when I'm around." I snarled, my eyes flashing with fury. "There is nothing wrong with them, so take your opinions somewhere else." I finished, before turning in my seat to face the board, studiously ignoring him until he left and went to his desk.

I fielded more questions during gym, especially from Jess, who was desperate for gossip. My answers were always the same. I sat with the Cullens because I wanted to, and I found them quite normal. I just didn't mention that my idea of normal was very different to that of most humans.


	9. Driving Skills

BPOV

I managed to only trip twice in gym, both times because I was distracted y Jess and Lauren's pointless interrogations. Feeling relieved that another day of school was over; I left the gym, heading for my truck. My sixth sense suddenly kicked in, and I automatically shielded myself, my second skin comforting me. Suddenly Mike came up beside me, grabbing my arm and spinning me towards him, my back now up against the building. "Hey Bella, I'm sorry about before." He apologized. "How about I make it up to you by taking you to dinner," he offered with a smooth voice. He would have to do better than that, I mused; he had nothing on vampires and their dazzling skills. My skin crawled as I realised that Mike was running his hands up my arms. I froze as his fingers deliberately dipped inwards, trying to cop a feel.

I scowled at him, "There is no way in HELL that I would ever go out with you Mike." I growled out before wrenching myself out of his grasp and taking off for the parking lot at a run. Never had I been more tempted to kill a human.

I could hear him chasing after me as I neared the parking lot. I knew my truck was on the other side of the lot, and I desperately looked around for a means of escape.

My eyes alighted on a red monster jeep, parked close to me. It was already started, and as I reached it Emmett hopped into the driver's seat. Before he closed the door, I raced up, and jumped, using my shield to push me. I landed on Emmett's lap. Shutting the door, I quickly put the jeep in reverse and slammed my foot on the accelerator.

I performed a perfect 180, spinning the jeep quickly around, and sped out of the parking lot. By the time we reached the end of the parking lot, the jeep was already going at 60mph and I was thanking my lucky stars that vampires liked fast cars. I looked in the rear view mirror and cursed when I saw that Mike had gotten in his car and was attempting to follow me, no doubt to apologize again.

I sped up, drifting the jeep around a tight corner, and then swinging a tight left onto the main highway. Once on the highway, I effortlessly worked my way through the gears, until we were cruising at over 200mph as I weaved through the sparse traffic. I kept up the speed until we reached Port Angeles.

Realising how far I'd driven in my attempt to escape from Mike, I slowed down and did a handbrake park, easily spinning the jeep into a parking space. I turned off the jeep, and threw my head back, hitting Emmett's chest in the process. "Please tell me that Mike is not following me anymore" I begged. They were silent for a moment before Alice piped up.

"No, he gave up when you turned onto the highway," she assured me. I let out a sigh of relief.

"Thank God," I muttered, relieved. "I don't think I could handle him apologising again while trying to grope me." I shuddered at the memory, disgust lacing my tone.

Then I suddenly realised where I was. "Oh my god, I'm so sorry guys. I barely know you and I hijacked you and your car and took you all the way to Port Angeles." I exclaimed, horrified by what I'd done. "I am so sorry." I said again.

Jasper spoke up, a sense of calmness washing over me as he talked, "It's alright Bella we're fine." He assured me.

"Yeah," Alice added, "If Mike tried to grope me I'd probably do the same thing."

I laughed, "No you wouldn't, you'd probably get Jasper to eat him instead," I snickered. They chuckled, thinking that I didn't know just how funny they found my comment.

"That's one advantage of having a boyfriend," Alice conceded.

"If you need someone to scare him away let me know," Emmett offered, "I love scaring people." To prove his point he grinned at me, showing his bright, sharp teeth. I smiled back, completely unafraid, and his expression turned to disappointment.

I suddenly realised that I was still sitting on Emmett's lap. "I'm sorry Emmett, I forgot where I was," I said sheepishly, "I should be going now guys. Thanks for being so good about me taking you on a detour." I said, opening the car door and jumping to the ground.

"Wait Bella!" Alice called, "Where are you going?"

"Yeah Bella, I was fine," Emmett smiled at me.

"I'm going to get a cab and go home guys." I said, confused.

Rosalie rolled her eyes at me. "Get in the car Bella, we'll take you home."

"But I've already inconvenienced you enough this week, what with hijacking you, and eating lunch with you," I protested, "I can find my own way home."

Alice sighed. "Bella get in now before I get out and force you in." She demanded, her look telling me I wouldn't like to face the consequences of her wrath.

I hopped into the back, Alice scooting over to the middle to make room for me. "Thank you," she said smugly. I huffed at her as Emmett started the jeep and headed back to Forks.

"So Bella that was some pretty cool driving you did back there." Emmett sounded impressed, "Who knew a little creature like you could handle my monster jeep like that?"

I kicked the back of his chair, "Please Emmett," I started, rolling my eyes, "I learnt to drive in an Ariel Atom, a Hummer and a Pagani Zonda." I stated smugly. I figured that since they already knew about my Audi, It couldn't hurt to tell them about the other cars I'd driven. "Your little jeep doesn't scare me one bit." I said smugly. "In fact, it's nothing in comparison to the amount of power my Bugatti Veyron has." I mentioned casually.

I sat there, letting what I'd just told them sink in. "You have a Bugatti Veyron too?" Rosalie asked. At my nod she grinned in excitement. "How fast have you gone in it?"

"Well last time I was in Europe I took it to the Autobahn in Germany and got it over 290mph."

Rosalie looked impressed. She grilled me on my car for a little longer before sighing, "I've got to try one of those out. It sounds exhilarating."

"It is," I assured her. "I have to admit though, this jeep is very impressive, did you put the performance upgrades on?" I asked her.

She looked surprised, "Yeah I did, how'd you know it was me?" she asked.

"Well you may look like a supermodel." I said, "But you're obviously the one in this family with the passion for cars." She grinned at that. "I'd love to get myself a Maserati GTS as a fun car to drive around out of town, but I don't know where I could keep it." I explained. "Charlie knows I have money, but he doesn't know how much."

"Besides, it would stand out too much in Forks." I said regretfully.

"A Maserati GTS? We have plenty of room in our garage for another car, you could keep it there." Rosalie offered.

The others looked shocked at Rosalie's offer. "Rose you never let people into your garage, especially not strangers," Jasper hissed at her under his breath.

"It's a Maserati Jasper," she hissed back, "Think of all the fun I can have tinkering with a new car. I haven't been able to play with a new car for ages thanks to Carlisle saying we had enough cars as it is." She grumbled.

"Wow, that's awfully generous of you Rosalie, if you're sure you wouldn't mind, I'd love to take you up on that offer." I was extremely pleased, now I could occasionally get out of town and have fun in my fast car when I was fed up with my slow truck.

"It's no trouble at all," She assured me, "In fact, please call me Rose." She asked.

"Okay Rose." I grinned at her before pulling out my phone. "What's your address for when I have it delivered" I asked. She told me and I typed it into my phone before calling Santiago.

"Hi Santi," I said when he picked up.

"Hey Bella, how's school?" he asked.

"Not bad," I answered. "Anyway, I'm because I want to ask a really big favour..." I started, my voice turning persuasive.

Santiago groaned. "What is it?"

"Can you order me a brand new midnight blue Maserati GTS, to be delivered to the address I'm texting you?" I asked, "Please," I added sweetly.

He chuckled, "I think we spoiled you, getting you a Bugatti Veyron for your 15th. Now you seem to think you need a new car every couple of years." He teased me.

"Of course I do," I teased him back, "And thank you for my new Maserati Santi." I grinned, my tone smug.

"Yeah yeah, I'll get right on it," he said, "You should have it within the next couple of weeks," he assured me. "I'll send you some upgrades for it too."

I thanked him again, then hung up. Of course, the vampires in the car had heard the entire conversation, and were grinning at me, amused. "And that's how you get a new car." I said proudly. They burst into laughter. "I only wish it could get here before the weekend," I moaned, "I don't know what I'm going to do with myself, driving my slow old truck to Port Angeles this weekend."

"Why are you going to Port Angeles?" Alice asked.

"I need to shop for some better clothes for Fork's weather." I explained. I was suddenly wary as I saw Alice's eyes sparkle. I felt a momentary sense of dread, which was quickly replaced by unnatural excitement. I inwardly cursed Jasper.

"Shopping!" Alice yelled excitedly, bouncing in her seat. "Oh Bella we're going to have so much fun!" she exclaimed.

"Who said you were coming?" I asked confused, though the idea definitely had an appeal.

"I did of course, I LOVE shopping." She answered.

Beside her Jasper chuckled. "That's right Bella, Alice lives for shopping." He informed me.

I realised that I wouldn't be getting out of shopping with Alice, who seemed to like it even more than Heidi (Which was saying something). I gave in. "Okay Alice, you can come." I said. "But if we're going to do this, we're going to do it properly." I warned. "In fact, I think we should make a weekend out of it." I said, a plan forming in my mind.

"I'm coming too." Rose said quickly, "We can take my car."

I grinned at her, "Sounds like fun." Then I told them my plan. "I think we should drive up to Seattle after lunch on Friday, and fly to Edmonton so that we can spend the weekend shopping there and come back Sunday afternoon." I offered. I could see from the sudden smiles on Alice and Rose's faces that they knew which mall was in Edmonton.

Emmett obviously didn't. "Edmonton?" he asked.

"Yep," I answered, "Home of West Edmonton Mall, one of the largest malls in the world." I explained. "It has over 800 stores." I deliberately left out the fact that it also had an amusement park with a rollercoaster, water park, ice shaking rink and aquarium, suspecting that he'd want to crash our shopping trip if he found out. Judging from the glances I was getting from Rose and Alice, they didn't want him to find out either.

We spent the remainder of the ride back to Forks talking about different options. Alice offered to check out the flights and accommodation details and get back to me. I exchanged phone numbers with them, and they dropped me off at my house.

That night I drifted off to sleep eagerly anticipating the coming day.


	10. Shopping

The next morning I was getting ready for school when I was surprised to find a knock on my door. I opened it cautiously to find Alice standing on my porch, a bright smile on her face. "We realised that your truck is still at the school, so we're here to give you a ride." She explained. Behind her I saw the others, all sitting in a bright red convertible BMW M3, with the top down.

I grabbed my bag, and quickly closed and locked the door. "Thanks guys." I said as we reached the car. "I really appreciate it." I said, genuinely touched as how nice they were.

"No worries Bella," Rose assured me as I jumped over the side and into the back seat next to Alice and Jasper. "Your house is on our way to school anyway." She continued as she put the car in gear and headed to school. "In fact, if your truck ever breaks down, just call us and we'll pick you up." She offered, turning to give me a smile, the car never wavering from its path, even though her eyes weren't on the road.

I smiled back. "Thank you. When we go to Seattle Rose, you're going to have to show me what your baby can do." I said.

She laughed, "Let's just say that the ride to Seattle won't take very long," she winked.

We arrived at school, and I tried to ignore the stares, whispers and gawking that I got when the other students saw me get out of Rose's car. I was very thankful that Rose's car was so ostentations, because many of the guys that had been staring soon realised what kind of car we had gotten out of and promptly forgot about me as they raced over to get a proper look.

In the meantime, I subtly escaped to my first class.

I was proud of myself as lunch came, having successfully managed to avoid Mike all morning, and having given Jessica non-answers about the Cullens throughout our Trig lesson. Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end, and as I walked into the cafeteria Mike once again latched onto my arm, "Bella, baby, why don't we have dinner together tonight?" He asked. "Let me show you just how beautiful you are." He tried to purr, but it sounded like a lawn mower instead.

"Let go and don't ever touch me again Mike." I said the venom in my voice unmistakable.

His eyes flashed with determination. "Come on Baby, you know you want to go out with me." He stated arrogantly, "Stop playing hard to get."

I gritted my teeth to stop myself from throwing him through the window. "I'm only going to say this once Mike. I. Do. Not. Like. You." I said slowly, stressing every word, my voice deceptively calm.

Mike's hand was still on my arm, and he opened him mouth to say something when a large, cold white hand came down on his shoulder. He shivered and let go of my arm, turning to face to owner of the hand.

I grinned my thanks at Emmett, who was glaring at Mike. I saw a quick flash of humour in his eyes as they caught mine, before he turned his cold stare back to Mike. "Listen Mike," he growled menacingly, "If you ever touch Bella again, if you even come near her again, I will personally remodel your face." He warned. Mike was now visibly shaking. "Do you understand?" Emmett asked him."

Mike nodded before turning and running out of the cafeteria. Emmett and I managed to make it to our table before bursting into laughter, and we were soon joined by Jasper, Alice and Rosalie, who had watched the whole exchange with amusement. "Thanks Emmett," I said when we finally calmed down. "You're like the awesome big brother I never had." I commented. He looked pleased.

"I can see why you were so eager to escape from Newton yesterday." Rose remarked, her disgust of Mike evident in the way she sneered his name. I simply shuddered in disgust and nodded. In my rush to get away from Mike I had forgotten to get any food, so I just snagged stuff off the others trays. They weren't going to eat in anyway. They looked at me, surprised, but I just shrugged at them. "I'm too lazy to go up there and get my own stuff, so I hope you guys don't mind sharing." I said.

"Oh no Bella, go right ahead. We always get too much to eat anyway." Alice assured me. "In fact, you should just eat off our trays every day; we always get too much and waste it." She said. I smiled inwardly. Obviously Alice had figured out that it would help them look more human if the food on their trays actually disappeared instead of just being rearranged.

"Well if you don't mind..." I said hesitantly.

"Oh no, help yourself," they said. I tucked in eagerly, surprised that they had all managed to pick nice foods. Alice, Rose and I were soon chatting about our shopping trip as I happily munched away. Charlie had been happy that I was making friends and had quickly agreed to the shopping trip as he was planning on going fishing with Billy on the weekend anyway.

That afternoon Alice caught me before I could get to my truck. "Bella you have to come over to our place this afternoon," she begged, "Esme is dying to meet you."

I sighed. Realising I was never going to win an argument against her; I agreed and followed them to their house in my truck.

Calling their home a house was the biggest understatement of the year. It was a huge three storey mansion. I walked in feeling slightly intimidated by the beauty of it.

Waiting near the door was a beautiful vampire with soft motherly features and wavy caramel hair. "Hello," she greeted me, "I'm Esme. You must be Bella, my kids haven't stopped talking about you." She said smiling at me.

I smiled brightly back before stepping closer and giving her a hug. She froze for a second in surprise before lightly hugging me back. "It's a pleasure to meet you Esme, you have a lovely home, and a wonderful family." I said.

"Thank you Bella, I can see why my children all seem to find you so intriguing." She said as I blushed in embarrassment. I mumbled a quick thank you as I looked around the large room we were in.

My attention was immediately caught by the grand piano sitting on a raised floor. "What a beautiful piano." I commented.

"Thank you dear, it's Edward's." Esme explained. "Do you play any instruments?" she asked.

I nodded shyly, "I mainly play the harp, but I can play a few other instruments, including the piano." I informed her.

She beamed at me. "The harp, how lovely, you will have to play it for us sometime." She declared.

I smiled at her enthusiasm. "Unfortunately, I didn't have room for the concert grand harp that I normally play," I explained remorsefully, "and I only have a smaller harp to keep me in practise."

Esme seemed to have the same generosity as the rest of her family, because she immediately responded with an offer, "Oh Bella, you are more than welcome to keep your harp here," she offered. "We have plenty of room, in fact I'm sure it would look lovely sitting near the piano." She gushed.

"Esme, I couldn't impose on you so much," I said, suddenly uncomfortable with the generosity of this family. "You guys have already done so much for me, and I don't know how I'd ever repay you." I explained.

"Nonsense," Esme stated, "We would be happy to have your harp here. But if you really feel the need to pay us back, you can play for us when it gets here."

I decided that I shouldn't pass up this offer, so I smiled gratefully and hugged her again. "Thank you Esme." I whispered.

I was taken on a tour of the house by Alice, before Rosalie took me out to the garage, proudly showing me the collection of expensive cars housed in the super sized garage. One in particular caught my eye. I whistled, "Nice Vanquish ," I commented.

Rose smiled, "It's Edward's," she informed me. I was surprised, it sounded like Edward and I had a lot in common. It was disappointing that I had to be his singer and scare him away.

I spent some more time watching them interact as a family before I reluctantly headed home to start dinner for Charlie.

Thursday was spent with Mike going out of his way to avoid me, something I was very grateful for. Our plans for the weekend were finalised, and we would be leaving in the middle of the next day, before lunch.

One aspect of my day that I tried hard not to think about too much was the incident that happened at lunch time. I had tripped just as I reached our table, and fallen to the ground. Flailing my arms in a pointless attempt to stop myself, I had ended up dumping two trays of food on myself, much to Emmett's amusement, and my eternal embarrassment.

He had continued to tease me about it all day, and after school his final comment made me snap. "Bella, I must say you look good enough to eat!" he grinned at me, "All you need is a little whipped cream and a cherry on top and you'd be perfect." He declared.

I flushed and glared at him. "I will get you back for this Emmett. You. Will. Pay." I warned. He laughed in disbelief, and I turned away, a plan forming in my mind.

Alice started laughing and muttered, "Oh Emmett, what have you done?" before pulling Rose aside to whisper to her as they walked away. Soon both of them were grinning like Cheshire cats. I took that as a sign that they approved of my plan.

I woke early on Friday, eager to start my day. I rushed through my routine, managing to catch Charlie before he left for work to bid him goodbye and wish him luck for the weekend.

I waited outside, and soon enough Rose drove up in her car with Alice. Emmett and Jasper were in the jeep behind them. I tossed my lightly packed duffel in the boot and climbed in eagerly. Alice was practically vibrating with happiness in the passenger seat. I hadn't packed much, knowing that in all likelihood I would have plenty of luggage coming home.

The morning passed slowly, I couldn't believe how slowly the clock was ticking as I impatiently waited for the bell to go. After what seemed like hours, the bell finally rang, and I rushed out of class and over to the BMW, where a bouncing Alice and a calm Rose were already waiting. Standing beside them was Jasper and Emmett.

We bid the boys goodbye and got out on the road. As Rose had promised, it was a very quick trip to Seattle, and we were soon comfortably seated in first class on a plane headed for Edmonton. I settled down and had a nap on the way there; knowing that once we got to Edmonton it would be non-stop shopping. I also ate a big meal on the plane, pinching food off Rose and Alice and stuffing myself because I had a feeling that they weren't used to stopping for food while they shopped.

We landed and quickly got our luggage, heading straight for the hotel conveniently located beside the shopping centre in our hire car, a blue mustang. We didn't even bother going up to look at our suite, we just checked-in, and left our luggage and car at the hotel before quickly entering the huge mall.

Alice sighed in happiness as we entered, "This is heaven," she declared, before her eyes immediately started darting towards to names of the stores in view. "Ooh, let's go here first," she decided, grabbing us.

I resisted. "Uh uh Alice, our first stop is going to be the camera store." I said firmly.

"Why?" she asked, confused.

"So we can take pictures of all the fun we have to rub it into the boys of course." I explained as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. Rose and Alice grinned evilly.

"I like the way you think Bella," Rose declared as we headed for the camera store and brought three digital cameras. We had the assistants take them out of the boxes and set them up for us before leaving the store, shiny new cameras in hand to document our shopping trip.

As I had suspected, Rose and Alice didn't stop in the five hours we were there before the store closed, and I was exceedingly grateful that I had been eased into long shopping trips at a young age or I would have been overwhelmed by their non-stop attitude. Luckily, I had a few tricks up my sleeves from my previous vampire shopping adventures. I took the chance to sit down regularly when we went to different shops, and I carried a water bottle and energy bars with me in my purse.

I fought early with Alice about paying for things. Alice seemed to think she could get away with paying for everything for me, and I stopped her after she sneakily paid for my things while I was still in the dressing room of the first store. At the next store I made sure I was at the counter as our items were totalled up and when the total price was announced I smoothly handed over my black card. "Bella," Alice whined, "I was going to pay for that."

I looked at her fiercely, "Alice, I have plenty of money and you guys have already paid for the hotel and flights and wouldn't let me pay my share, so I should at least get to buy you some clothes." I said.

She looked at me closely, and observing the determination in my eyes she huffed. "Fine," She said, "We'll alternate shops if that will make you happy." She compromised.

I would have been happier paying for everything, but I figured that this was the best deal I was going to get. "Thank you Alice," I accepted.

We had to leave when the mall closed at 11pm, and we headed back to the hotel and into our luxurious suite. We ordered room service and kicked back on the sofas watching TV and showing each other the photos we had taken at all of the stores, laughing at ourselves in some of the outfits we had tried on.

I went to bed early. Tomorrow the shops would be open for 14 hours straight, and I had a feeling that we wouldn't be leaving the shopping centre at all in that time.

I woke early the next morning and ordered breakfast as I got ready. Unsurprisingly, Alice and Rose were already wide awake and eager to start the day, informing me that they'd already had breakfast while I was still asleep. I shrugged as I tucked into my huge breakfast, likely to be the last proper meal I would have in 14 hours.

Before we left though Alice and I got into an argument over shoes, and I was forced to unleash my secret weapon.

Alice seemed to think that my outfit required heels, and upon realising that I had the same shoe size as Rose, had rushed to Rose's suitcases and soon came out dangling a pair of black, dangerous looking, stilettos.

"Alice, there is no way in hell that I am going to spend all day shopping in those heels." I said calmly, "My feet would ache for days after that."

"But Bella, these shoes would look great with that outfit, much better than those flats you plan on wearing."

"Absolutely not!" I replied, looking over her head to mouth "HELP" at Rose. Rose just looked on amused, making no attempt to get between Alice and her goal.

I looked back at Alice and founded her pouting at me, her face looking absolutely heartbroken. "Bella, as a good friend, I only want you to look your best today." She said. "Please wear the heels," she pleaded. "I'm only looking out for you."

I almost caved into her wishes, and I'm sure I would have if I hadn't already been subjected to it by Heidi many times beforehand, although I have to admit that Alice was much better at guilt tripping me than Heidi ever was. I sighed softly, realising I was going to have to show her just how good I was at retaliating against vampires.

I put on my own pout, an almost exact replica of Alice's, "Alice, my feet will be painful if I have to wear them all day," I pleaded softly in a heartbroken voice, "You wouldn't want me to only have memories of being in pain on this shopping trip would you?" I asked, my eyes deliberately watering, tears threatening to spill down my cheeks. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Rose snap a picture.

Alice blinked. "Uh no? I guess not?" she said, making it sound like a question.

Jumping on my chance I wasted no time in hugging her. "Thank you Alice." I yelled, rushing to my room to get my comfortable flats.

From my room I heard Alice, "What just happened?" she asked in a confused voice.

Rose laughed, "You just got beaten at your own trick." She explained.

As predicted we did spend the entire 14 hours inside the mall, stopping only once for a toilet break and lunch before we were off shopping again. With the amount of items we bought, including a few presents for the guys and Esme, I was incredibly thankful that the mall had a service which delivered all of our purchases to the hotel for us, as having to carry that many bags would have hindered us a lot.

As it neared closing time I remembered the one thing I had forgotten to buy before tomorrow, when we would forgo shopping and spend our time at the amusement parks and other attractions located inside the mall.

Just as I remembered Alice piped up, "Oh, I'm glad you remembered Bella, of course we need bikinis for tomorrow. The guys are going to be so jealous when we show them the pictures of us on the waterslides."

I cocked an eyebrow at her and waited for her to realise that I hadn't actually said anything. Rose figured it out first. "Alice," she hissed under her breath, "Bella didn't say anything about getting bikinis."

"Oh, I mean, um, we need bikinis for tomorrow. Rose and I didn't bring any." She said, desperately trying to back track.

"Neither did I," I admitted, pretending I didn't notice anything unusual.

We managed to find some bikinis we liked then headed back to the hotel, where all of our packages were waiting in our room.

We had bought 15 suitcases, and after dinner Alice and Rose slowly began to pack away all of our purchases, ready to take back to Forks, shooing me off to bed with assurances that they weren't tired. I believed them.

Sunday morning was the most fun I had had in a long time. After I watched Rose and Alice gracefully perform many cool tricks on the ice rink, they dragged me out on the ice and taught me how to skate, something I had never tried before. It was incredibly entertaining because Rose and Alice were pretending to be human, and every so often I would fall (my shield kept me from getting hurt), and as they were holding my hands, they would have to fall with me in their charade, making it look like I had pulled them down. This inevitably ended with us sitting on the ice laughing our heads off- them laughing at me and my clumsiness, me laughing at them having to fall with me.

After we got sick of the ice we had a great time on the rollercoaster's, before we stripped down to our bikinis and headed for the water park.

We got a lot of stares as we walked around in our bikinis, especially Rose, who was in a skimpy red string bikini. My blue halter neck bikini, and Alice's purple one were a little more modest, but that didn't stop the guys from eyeing us all hungrily, and the girls from glaring at us with envy.

We took tons of pictures of ourselves on the different water slides before relaxing in the wave pool until it was time for us to head back to the hotel.

Reluctantly we left, upset that we hadn't had enough time to try out all of the other rides, and visit the mini-golf course or the go-karts and the aquarium. We decided that next time we would have to come for a week and bring the guys and Esme, Alice mentioning that she hoped Edward would be back by then.

By midday we were on a plane and heading back to Seattle, Alice's urge to shop momentarily sated.


	11. Return

EPOV

I finally returned home to see my family. I had missed them in the week I had been in Alaska, hating myself for nearly killing someone. But I was back now, determined to not let the call of Bella Swan's blood undermine my resolve. I was sure she was a devil sent to tempt the monster within me.

I came in through my open bedroom window, and quickly crossed the room, eager to greet my family. I paused, my hand on the knob of my unopened door, as I was suddenly hit with the combination of the torturous scent that had seen me nearly kill Bella last week, and the sound of beautiful, unfamiliar laughter coming from Alice's room.

I focussed on Alice's thoughts, and my confusion suddenly turned to fury as I realised that it was indeed Bella Swan who was in the house, laughing with Alice, and of all people, Rose. I snarled softly, how dare they invite my own personal demon into the house? I thought angrily. But as I continued to watch through Alice's eyes my anger quickly turned to shock and astonishment.

Bella was laughing, her head thrown back, and her beautiful brown eyes sparkling as she helped Rose and Alice place clothes and shoes in Alice's enormous wardrobe. I suddenly realised that Alice and Rose had gone shopping with Bella this weekend, and my eyes widened in surprise. While Alice would, in all likelihood, go shopping with anyone, Rosalie going shopping with a human was astounding- especially as it was the very one I had wanted to kill.

As I puzzled over their behaviour I realised that I didn't, no couldn't, hate Bella. It wasn't her fault that her blood called to me. I sighed, realising I was still standing by my door, I released the door knob and settled down to eavesdrop. I wasn't going to leave this room while Bella was in the house and take the chance that I might attack her, so I was stuck here until she left.

Alice already knew I was back, but the others didn't. Welcome back Edward she thought at me, pleased. I continued watching them as they moved to the spare room next to mine, where five suitcases were already piled in the middle of the room. They began to unpack them, placing armload after armload of clothes into the closet. I sat there confused, Why would Alice or Rose be putting clothes into this wardrobe, couldn't they fit their stuff in their own wardrobes anymore? My thoughts were soon answered though when Bella turned to Alice.

"Thanks for letting me keep all this stuff here Alice." She said, indicating the wardrobe, now filled with enough clothes and shoes to rival Esme (Though certainly not enough to rival Rose or Alice yet). "I think Charlie would have a fit if I came home with all of this," she chuckled and Rose and Alice joined her.

I hadn't seen my sisters enjoy themselves this much in a long time. "Besides, I'd never have been able to fit it all in my room, let alone my little closet." She continued. A thought suddenly occurred to her and she grinned. "What with you guys letting me keep my stuff in the spare room, my car in the garage, and my harp in downstairs, I almost feel like I'm moving in."

Alice's thoughts became happy and speculative; She'd make such a wonderful new sister! I wonder... before her thoughts cut abruptly off with the lyrics to the never ending song. "You're welcome Bella, you may as well consider the spare room yours anyway. We almost never have guests." She explained. Downstairs I could hear Esme silently planning to redecorate the room for Bella, in case Alice and Rose ever invited her to stay the night.

I was shocked and confused, Alice wanted a human as a sister? Even more surprising was that the rest of the family members also quite liked the thought of Bella moving in, even Carlisle, who, I gathered from his thoughts, had only just met her, was already getting attached. Jasper had no thoughts of killing Bella at all, and was happy to have Bella around because she made Alice happy. Emmett found Bella incredibly entertaining, and I laughed as I saw from his thoughts how clumsy she was.

What surprised me most though was to hear Rose's thoughts. Rose had always been the most protective of everyone in the family, and I never thought I would see the day when she would voluntarily interact with a human, let alone actually like them. Bella seemed to have made my family happier, and the only sadness I could find in their thoughts was that, on some level, they were all missing me.

I silently mused, continuing in my thoughts as the rest of Bella's words sunk in. Why would she need to keep her car and a harp here? Surely Rose would never let Bella's decrepit old truck stay in our garage? Why would it need to anyway? And what was that about a harp? I had read enough teenage minds over the years to know that there was no way someone as beautiful and popular as Bella would play a harp. It would be considered nerdy, and people who wanted to fit in and be popular at school picked "cool" instruments like guitars.

I was soon proven wrong in my assumptions by Esme, who had joined the girls in what was now Bella's room. "Bella, your harp arrived yesterday. I put it next to the Edward's piano," She informed her. "It's beautiful." She commented. In Esme's mind I saw a large harp now resting next to my piano downstairs, and a replay of the conversation that had lead to Esme offering to keep it here for Bella.

Once again I was astonished, and I found myself frustrated that I couldn't read her mind. She never seemed to do anything expected. She appeared to be completely comfortable in a house full of vampires, when her instincts should have told her to run. She didn't do what normal things a teenage girl would do. I found myself pleasantly surprised. She not only played an instrument, but many, and she composed as well.

Everything about her was intriguing, and I found that I had a sudden desire to talk to her. I quickly dismissed the thought as I hesitantly took a small breath and felt my throat erupt into flames. It was tolerable because of the distance between us and the fact that I had just gorged myself on blood, but it was still incredibly painful.

I sighed, the one human I find that is actually interesting and I can't read her mind, I thought.

My interest spiked as I heard Bella, "I would love to play something for you Esme." She offered.

Esme was delighted, and she quickly accepted the offer and lead Bella downstairs, the others following. Emmett and Jasper paused the video game they were playing, and turned towards the harp. Carlisle appeared from his office and settled on the couch next to Esme as Bella sat at her harp and began, her fingers lovingly plucking the strings.

I listened; entranced as I soon recognised the song she was playing as one of my favourites, Claire De Lune, by Debussy. I softly hummed along, and I was delighted when it came to a finished, and instead of stopping she immediately moved on to another Debussy piece, Arabesque.

She paused for a moment after Arabesque came to a halt and explained the next song. "This next piece is one I composed for my Aunt Di, who taught me to play and founded my love of music." She began playing a beautiful melody, full of happiness and fun. I relaxed on my couch and let the music flow through me, awestruck by her talent. Unsurprisingly, my family's thoughts mirrored my own as they complimented her on her performance.

After Bella had shyly received their compliments, she exchanged a mischievous glance with Rose, who nodded and quickly disappeared, returning with three large stacks of photos, which she casually tossed onto the coffee table in front of Emmett and Jasper.

I looked through their eyes, curious to see what was in the photographs. Emmett and Jasper's thoughts turned petulant as they focussed on the photos, while Alice and Rose's turned gleeful.

There was picture after picture of Rose, Alice and Bella shopping, ice-skating, and playing on roller coasters and waterslides. "You tricked us!" Emmett accused, rounding on the girls. "You knew there was an amusement park there and you didn't tell us!" he complained.

They laughed at him. "We didn't see you guys volunteering to come with us," Alice retaliated. They looked slightly ashamed of themselves.

"Emmett, we should have known something was up when they didn't try and get us to come with them and hold their bags." Jasper muttered wryly as they continued to look through the pictures. Behind them Esme and Carlisle laughed at them.

I couldn't help but chuckle softly as I observed the pictures through their eyes. All three girls looked unbelievably beautiful and were glowing with excitement and happiness. Bella was perhaps the only human I had ever seen that could match a pair of vampires for beauty.

The girls all continued laughing at Emmett and Jasper and teasing them before they finally promised that next time they went to that particular mall the guys could come. I found myself hoping that the invite included me.

To further mollify Emmett and Jasper they then produced some of the latest video games and handed them over. Bella explaining that two of her European cousins had recommended them. Emmett jumped up and thanked them all enthusiastically, hugging all three separately. I was surprised when Bella didn't wince at the strength of his hug. Emmett wasn't used to hugging humans, and he had squeezed her as hard as he had done to Rose and Alice, but she had given no sign of being in pain. I shrugged it off, figuring that perhaps he had tempered down all of his hugs.

Bella left soon after, Rose and Alice taking her back home as it was now Sunday evening, and Bella hadn't been home since Friday evening. She took with her a few shopping bags, less than an eighth of the stuff she had actually purchased, the rest safely ensconced in what was now her closet in the spare room.

I waited until they were gone before heading downstairs, my throat burning as Bella's fresh scent hit me. I swallowed back the venom, surprised that it was getting easier to ignore her scent, and embrace Esme, who had come running towards me. "Welcome back." She murmured softly. It's good to have you home son.

"It's good to be back." I said softly, before moving out of her embrace to give Carlisle a nod and fist bump Emmett and Jasper. I settled down next to them and took my first look at the photos with my own eyes, flicking through them and noting how much all three girls appeared to have enjoyed their long shopping trip and how at ease Bella looked with my vampire sisters.

I could tell from Emmett and Jasper's thoughts that they were still upset that they hadn't been able to go, and I couldn't miss a chance to tease them. "The one time you two don't go shopping with your wives and there's an amusement park in the Mall!" I laughed at them.

"Shut up Eddie." Emmett grumbled.

"Don't call me Eddie." I growled, and Emmett laughed.

"So what's the deal with Bella?" I asked, changing the subject.

"Dude you wouldn't believe her, she has absolutely no fear of us. I even gave her a menacing grin that usually makes humans run away, and she just laughed at me." Emmett complained, slightly put out that she wasn't scared by him.

"She's completely comfortable around us." Jasper added. "Not one ounce of fear."

I furrowed my brows, confused as they told me, and showed me with their thoughts all of their interactions with Bella since I had left. I was amazed that she had just walked up to their table at lunch, though I completely understood her need to get away from Jessica, having been subjected to her thoughts for a while now.

I laughed when they showed me their shock when Bella had hijacked them and sped at over 200mph all the way to Port Angeles, and I was incredibly impressed when I found that she had a Maserati GTS arriving that would be staying in our garage so that her father wouldn't know about her obsession with fast cars. I was relieved to note that it wouldn't be her old truck staying in the garage like I'd first thought.

Most surprising though, was that I found myself inwardly growling at the idea of that foul Mike Newton touching her, and I had no idea why. It wasn't like she was my possession. I calmed myself with the thought that I just didn't like Newton, it had nothing to do with Bella, a girl I barely knew.

All in all, Bella was becoming a person of extreme interest to me. She had a love of fast cars and music, with her tastes in both similar to my own and I found myself eager for the next day to come so that I would be able to see her, and hopefully talk to her.

As I mused over this I realised that I had gotten somewhat used to breathing in Bella's scent, which was all over the house, and that I had been ignoring the burn in my throat for quite a while as I engrossed myself in Emmett and Jasper's description of Bella. I just hoped that it would be as easy to ignore her scent tomorrow at school; I was keen to meet the little human that had enchanted my family.


	12. Back to School

EPOV

I came downstairs the next morning, finding myself both apprehensive and eager to get to school and officially meet Bella. When Rose and Alice had gotten home last night they had filled in the blanks on the shopping trip with Bella, and I had been shocked to learn that ever vigilant Alice had slipped up and nearly revealed her ability to see the future. Apparently they had both been so comfortable around her that she probably could have walked them out into the sun and they wouldn't have noticed. I had frowned at that and warned them to be more careful.

Much to Alice's annoyance, we had all gotten a hearty laugh out of the special photo Rose had produced. It showed Bella and Alice pouting at each other, identical sad puppy dog looks on their faces as they both tried to get their own way. When Rose told the accompanying story Jasper fell off the lounge in shock, incredulous that anyone had been able to turn Alice's pout against her. Emmett and I were impressed- we'd never been able to turn down Alice's pout.

I was still apprehensive about resisting Bella's scent, but I had secretly borrowed one of Bella's shirts and tried to get myself used to her scent in preparation, so I was relatively confident that I would be able to resist. I hated to think of the consequences if I did slip up. Not only would I hate myself, but because my whole family was now attached to her, they would probably hate me too. I was not willing to let that happen if I could help it.

The rest of my family soon joined me downstairs, and we jumped into the Volvo and headed to school. We arrived in time to see Bella exiting her truck, and I smoothly slid the Volvo into the space next to hers.

We exited, with Rose and Alice rushing immediately over to Bella. Emmett, Jasper and I followed them at a more sedate pace. As Bella turned and spotted me I felt Jasper register the change in her feelings. She had been completely comfortable before, but now she was feeling slightly worried and sympathetic. I frowned; I would love to know what she was thinking about me that would make her feel sorry for me. After the way I had acted last week, I had expected her to be incredibly scared of me, I certainly wasn't expecting her to be worried about me. This was definitely not a normal human reaction. She should be running away from me screaming, or at the very least cowering.

Instead, she simply gave me a beautiful smile. With her eyes lit up, her cheeks flushed from the cold and her glorious mahogany hair framing her face she looked sensational, and I felt my breathing stop for a second. Jasper quirked an eyebrow at me What's gotten into you?

I snapped out of it and collected myself and returned her smile with one of my own. We all heard her heart stutter as she blushed a deep red, and I felt venom pooling in my mouth at the sight. I swallowed it back, finding that I had indeed become somewhat desensitised to her scent.

Extending my hand to her I spoke softly, "Hello Bella, I'm Edward. I'm sorry I didn't get to meet you last week, but I was out of town for personal reasons." I was surprised when she reached for my hand with no hesitation. We simultaneously gasped as our hands connected and a spark ran between them. I looked down at our connected hands, confused. I had never felt that before.

My siblings were no help. Jasper's thoughts were smug, but he was deliberately thinking about the Civil War. Emmett and Rosalie obviously hadn't noticed anything, and Alice was singing the tune of a Britney Spears song in her mind.

I looked up at Bella, who had a perplexed look on her face and was also staring out our joined hands. It was obvious that she had felt it too. I suddenly realised from the thoughts of the other students that we had been standing there for a couple of minutes and I released her hand, puzzled that I felt a twinge of regret and an urge to pick her hand back up. I could hear Jasper laughing at me in his thoughts, carefully keeping them hidden from me.

Bella seemed to collect herself once I had let her go, and her smile returned as she looked up at me, "It's nice to finally meet you, your siblings have told me a lot about you." I frowned at that, turning to look suspiciously at my siblings, who were all trying to look innocent, though amusement was breaking out over their faces.

"What have they told you?" I asked guardedly.

Her face broke out in laughter, "Nothing actually, they barely mentioned you, but Rose said you'd react like this if I told you they had said something." My siblings were now barely breathing as they laughed at me.

"Not funny," I growled at them, causing them to laugh harder. I glared at them until the bell went and we had to go to class. I walked to class frowning, my siblings still laughing at me in their minds. I noted proudly that I had managed to resist Bella's blood, in fact, though my throat still burned, I found that it was becoming much more tolerable.

At lunch, I entered the cafeteria, got a tray of food to use as a prop, and sat down at our normal table. I was the first to arrive and was soon joined by the rest of my family. Bella entered the cafeteria soon after, moving quickly through the line before grabbing a square of some sort of food, which she quickly unwrapped and placed into her pocket. Across from me Alice started vibrating with excitement, and I frowned when she kept her thoughts blocked. I watched as Bella confidently approached us, not an ounce of fear in her demeanour, and inwardly winced as the jealous thoughts of Mike hit me.

Bella soon sat down beside me, and I hesitantly smiled at her. She smiled back, and opened her mouth to speak when Emmett interrupted her. "Bella, no buffet outfit today?" he guffawed, his mind going back to an incident last week when Bella had ended up wearing two trays of food due to her clumsiness.

Instead of turning red with embarrassment like I thought she would, she quickly reached into her pocket, dived across the table and slammed her square of food in his mouth, smearing it over his face.

Emmett shut up quickly, his face screwing up in disgust as he spit out what I now recognised as chocolate cake. The rest of us watched him, laughing at him. "Mmm Emmett, you look absolutely delicious." Bella choked out between laughs.

Emmett glared, "I will get you back Bella." He threatened.

Bella turned serious. "This is the kind of thing that happens when you mess with me Emmett," she warned, her face and tone threatening. My eyes widened as Emmett cowered slightly. "If you try to make me embarrassed again I will quite happily hurt you." She growled.

We all chuckled under our breath at the thought of petite, human Bella, hurting super stong, human Emmett. "Who knew a human could be so scary." Emmett muttered under his breath at us, and I had to agree with him. This human was so strange, she acted more like a vampire than a human.

From Jasper, I could see that Bella was feeling quite smug about getting even with Emmett, and I had to admit that I was more than impressed. She couldn't have picked a better way of getting back at Emmett if she had known that we were vampires who were repulsed by food.

I stopped at that thought, silently wondering if she could know what we were. Surely she must have noticed something different about us by now, with all the time she had spent with my family. But I soon dismissed that idea. If she did know what we were she would have run away screaming. Even if she usually reacted differently to most humans, it was impossible for her to not run away in fear and disgust if she knew what kind of monsters we were.

My musings were interrupted by Bella, who had recovered from her laughter at Emmett's expense, and had settled back in her seat, grabbing my bagel off my tray and taking a big bite. As she chewed I looked at her in shock, registering that my siblings hadn't thought anything of her strange behaviour, as Rose and Alice chatted with Bella, and Emmett and Jasper argued over a video game.

Jasper noticed my shock and looked over from his conversation with Emmett. He smirked at me as he noticed Bella happily chewing on my bagel, It's kind of funny to see your food steal your food isn't it? he asked. I nodded slightly and continued to watch in confusion as Bella ate half of my bagel before putting it back down on my tray. She picked up Rose's fruit salad next, eating roughly half of it before moving onto Jasper's bag of chips. He had already opened it, and she grabbed a handful. The others didn't even comment on her stealing their food props, seeming used to it, and I surmised that it was a daily occurrence for her to eat off all their trays.

When she reached for Emmett's tray he quickly grabbed it and held it protectively to him. "Uh uh Bella," he teased, "I'm a growing boy and I need my food." He stated, his eyes dancing with amusement.

Bella laughed, then composed her expression. Her face turned into a pout, the same one we had seen in the photo of her with Alice. "But Emmy, I'm starving," she whined, her eyes suddenly glistening with tears that threatened to fall. I watched awestruck as Emmett took one look at her expression and hurriedly thrust his tray towards her, not even commenting on the fact that she had called him Emmy- something he hated.

Bella smiled triumphantly, her tears disappearing as she picked up a slice of pizza and took a large bite. She moaned in contentment, "Emmett, you always manage to pick the best food," she complimented him. He smiled proudly, and I felt a fleeting sense of jealousy. Jasper looked over at me in surprise. I shook myself out of it, wondering why I was jealous that Emmett had been able to pick more appealing food.

Last of all, she swiped Alice's chocolate pudding, scarfing it down as she looked at the clock and realised that the bell was going soon.

Her phone vibrated and, after she checked the ID she jumped up, apologising as she rushed out of the cafeteria. I listened hard and could only make out faint words of her conversation. Yes Heidi...I know...Yeah I went shopping without you, it was a blast...don't worry, I'll be fine...talk to you later.

She soon came back, "Cousin from Europe," she explained, "She wanted to hear about our shopping trip."

BPOV

I skipped out of the cafeteria beside Edward as we headed for Biology, feeling pretty proud of myself for getting even with Emmett. Shoving food into unsuspecting vampire's faces had been a favourite trick of mine against Felix and Demetri for years.

I continued down the hall and into the classroom, secretly impressed by how well Edward was handling my scent, especially with how close he had been to me. We sat down at our biology table, and I listened as Mr Banner described the lab we would be doing today. I sighed as I realised it was something Sulpicia had had me do when I was seven.

"Ladies first," Edward offered, turning towards me. I found myself lost in his golden eyes for a few moments before I collected myself, blushing furiously as I took a quick peek at the first slide through the microscope.

"Prophase," I said confidently.

"May I?" he asked. I shrugged and pushed it towards him, inwardly seething that he felt the need to check my answers. Stupid knowall vampire.

He checked it and, seeing that it was correct, wrote it down. We took turns with the rest of the slides, and were finished in less than ten minutes. Everyone else had barely started.

We stared at each other, I was still slightly annoyed that he had initially doubted my knowledge, so I decided to aggravate him a little, knowing that he would probably feel frustrated by not being able to read my mind. "Did you get contacts?" I asked suddenly, taking him off guard.

"No," he answered, looking puzzled.

"Oh, I was sure your eyes were black last time I saw you, and now they're gold." I said, observing his eyes closely.

Realisation dawned in his eyes before he shrugged, and turned towards Mr Banner, who was making his way to our table. "Edward, didn't you think Isabella deserved a chance with the microscope?" he asked, checking our answers.

"Bella," Edward corrected, "And she identified three of the five." He informed Mr Banner.

Mr Banner's eyebrows shot up, "Have you done this before?"

I nodded. "I was in Advanced classes in Phoenix." I explained, no need to mention my incredibly intelligent vampire family.

"I guess it's good that you two are partners then," he muttered before moving away.

We sat in silence for a moment before Edward cut in. "It's a pity about the rain isn't it?"

I turned to him in surprise. He was asking me about the weather? No doubt he was referring to the fact that it had been snowing before lunch, while it was now raining, thwarting any plans others may have had for a snowball fight. The snow had been the reason I had been late to lunch, going out of my way to avoid the snowballs that had been flying around. "Uh, no, not really," I muttered.

"You don't like the cold?" he asked.

I shook my head, "Not really." I answered honestly.

"Then why did you move to Forks?" he asked curiously.

"It's..." I thought about it, "Complicated," I finished lamely, hoping he would leave it at that.

He didn't, "I think I can keep up," he argued.

I sighed, I figured I might as well go with what was mostly the truth anyways, "My mum remarried," I sighed

"And you don't like the guy?" he asked. If I wasn't nervous about where these questions were leading I would have laughed at him. It was obvious that it wasn't often that Edward had to rely on talking to people to get the answers he wanted. It was obvious that he was aggravated by the fact that he couldn't read my mind.

"No, Phil's fine," I assured Edward, "But he moves around a lot because he's a minor league baseball player, and I knew my Mum wanted to be able to go with him, instead of having to stay with me. So I decided and come to Forks and spend some time with my Dad." I explained quickly. "Now both of my parents are happy." I concluded.

He frowned, and I could tell he knew that I was editing my story. I inwardly cursed myself for being such a poor liar. While I could tell when someone else, even a vampire, was lying with no trouble at all, I had always been a terrible liar myself.

"And are you happy too?" he asked.

I shrugged, "It doesn't really matter. Life isn't meant to be fair." I informed him.

He smiled, "I know what you mean." He muttered.

"Besides," I continued, "I'm not unhappy here, you're family has been very welcoming." I said gratefully, smiling back at him.

He opened his mouth to answer when someone at the next desk banged their book down on their desk, creating a draft that ruffled my hair, blowing my scent directly into his open mouth. He tensed, and I hurriedly turned away, cloaking myself in a shield and pretending to listen to Mr Banner, who was now back in front of the board, talking.

I watched Edward out of the corner of my eye for the rest of the lesson, feeling sorry for him, and well aware that he was in pain. Thankfully the lesson soon ended and Edward rushed out of the class. I made my way out slowly and headed to gym-groan.

After a relatively successful gym lesson, where I didn't injure myself or anyone else, I bid goodbye to Rose and Alice, waved to Jasper, Edward and Emmett, who were on waiting in the Volvo, and headed home.


	13. Unlucky

BPOV

I spent most of that evening trying to distract myself from thinking about Edward's mesmerising golden eyes, silently berating myself for being more than a little obsessed with him. Now that I had actually talked to him, I found that along with being the most handsome vampire I had ever seen, he was also interesting to talk to.

In a pointless effort to rid myself from thoughts of Edward, I immersed myself in a new medical journal that Sulpicia had recently sent, hoping that the medical terms would keep my overactive thoughts at bay. Eventually I gave up, and after a call to Heidi, describing the great shopping trip I had gone on and teasing her about being jealous, I went to bed.

Even in my dreams Edward featured, his golden eyes bright, and his gorgeous smile directed at me.

Eventually I woke up, and prepared myself for another day of high school. I found myself eagerly anticipating the day, then berating myself, because, if I was being honest, the reason I was looking forward to it was Edward Cullen.

I stepped outside, and found, much to my disgust, that there was snow and ice everywhere. Making sure no one was around, I wrapped myself in a shield and lifted myself into the air, hovering a couple a inches above the ground. Moving my shield with my mind, I was soon standing next to my truck door, having successfully managed to avoid slipping on the ice.

I drove to school slower than usual, worried about my truck's capabilities on ice, but I was pleasantly surprised by how well it handled the conditions. With my slow driving though, I was a little later than usual and my usual parking place was already taken, so I found a place four cars down from Edward's Volvo to park in.

I got out and waved to the Cullens before a metallic glint caught my eye and I slid around on the ice, holding onto the tray of my truck as I made my way to the back of it and surveyed my tires. I realised that Charlie must have put snow chains on it this morning. I stood there, silently overwhelmed as I thought about how thoughtful and caring Charlie had been.

I was interrupted from my thoughts as I heard two things simultaneously. The first was a loud screeching, the second was the voice of Edward Cullen yelling "NO!" I looked up in shock. My eyes, used to watching vampires move at fast paces, took in what happened next as I stood still in shock. Tyler's van was coming towards me at an alarming pace, and I knew I isn't have time to move. I instinctively threw my shield around me, and braced myself looking over at Edward's horrified expression.

I was shocked when I he threw himself towards me and knocked me to the ground, my shielded head hitting the asphalt as his hands shot out protectively in front of me, stopping the van. Simultaneously, my shield pushed itself out of its own accord, shrouding Edward, and pushing the van slightly away from us.

As the van settled I instantly withdrew my shield from Edward, astonished that I had instinctively felt the need to keep Edward, an extremely strong vampire, safe. I was horrified that I had nearly given myself away in front of Edward and relieved that he would probably think he had pushed the van away.

I was startled when I saw Edward's worried face turn towards me, and I suddenly noticed that I was cradled protectively in his arms, my body humming in contentment. "Bella, are you okay?" he asked anxiously as his eyes ran over my body, searching for injuries.

I smiled weakly at him, still shocked by what had just happened. "I'm fine Edward," I assured him. Then I inwardly grimaced as I realised that I was going to have to play the innocent little human, who had never seen anyone super strong or superfast before, if I wanted the Cullens to believe I was a regular human. Aro had stressed the other day that the Cullen's needed to remain oblivious for as long as possible, especially about my gift and connections to the Volturi. It wasn't safe for me to be around them if another vampire, or coven, found out that I knew about vampires and decided to enforce the Volturi Laws by trying to kill me and punish the Cullens for associating with me. Of course I was confident that I could protect them if I was near, but I wouldn't be able to do that without revealing that I was the Volturi Princess.

I inwardly sighed, putting on a shocked expression I looked up at Edward. "How did you get over to me so fast?" I demanded.

His eyes tightened slightly, but he kept his face calm. "What are you talking about Bella? I was standing right beside you and I pulled you out of the way," he lied convincingly.

I was impressed with his ability to lie, but I was angry that he had thought he could get away with implying that I was unobservant. "No, you were standing over by your car." I stated firmly.

His voice hardened, "You don't know what you're talking about Bella. You hit your head."

I glared at him, "I'm fine," I said frostily.

His expression turned desperate, "Please Bella." He said softly.

"Why?" I demanded.

"Just trust me." He said.

I huffed, "Fine, but you owe me an explanation." I warned.

I knew that he was worried that he had just exposed his family, but for some reason I wanted him to be able to tell me the truth, and I wanted him to feel that he could trust me to keep their secret.

Edward was stopped from retaliating by the EMT's arrival. We sat back and waited as they moved the van away from us. I sat there, still comfortably wrapped in Edward's arms, and tried not to be impatient. Both Edward and I could have easily moved the van. I even contemplated subtly helping, but dismissed the idea- there was no way I was going to chance revealing my gift for a second time.

When the paramedics finally reached us Edward released me from his arms, and I felt a sense of loss as the traitor informed them that I had hit my head, but assured them that he was fine. I glared at him as they put me on a stretcher, and, much to my embarrassment, strapped a neck brace on me.

As I sat in the ambulance I notice a dent in the tan car beside my truck, which was obviously from Edward's shoulder. I knew I couldn't allow any of the other humans to get suspicious about the Cullens, so I subtly sent a shield over to the dent and quietly rearranged it, thankful that everyone was preoccupied getting Tyler out of the van. It would have looked very strange to anyone watching the dent to see it miraculously change shape out of thin air.

To top it off Charlie soon arrived, his panicked face desperate as he looked for me. When he finally found me his face relaxed slightly, obviously noticing that I wasn't seriously injured. After multiple assurances that I was fine, the ambulance finally took me to the Forks Hospital.

Edward came along to, but he got to sit in the front, and when we reached the hospital he simply glided in by himself, promising the paramedics that he would have his father check him out. I snorted softly at that. Obviously Dr Cullen didn't need to worry about Edward's health.

After a range of x-rays and examinations, I was finally left at peace- having dumped the stupid neck brace the first moment I was alone. Unfortunately, my peace didn't last long as Tyler was wheeled in next to me, looking horrible and covered in bandages. When he saw me he looked apologetic, "Bella, I'm so sorry!" he exclaimed.

"I'm fine Tyler, you didn't hit me," I assured him.

"Thank God. For a moment there I thought you were going to die." I chuckled at that, it would take much more than a van to kill me. "How'd you get out of the way so fast?" he asked.

"Edward was standing next to me," I lied smoothly, humans seemed to buy my lies better than vampires, "He pulled me out of the way." I finished.

"Oh, I didn't see him there." Tyler said, I paused, hoping he'd buy it, "I guess it all happened so fast. Jeez, I should apologise to him too," he groaned, "I nearly killed both of you."

I gave him a small smile, "We're both fine Tyler, stop worrying."

Unluckily, Tyler felt the need to keep apologising, so I lay back and pretended to sleep. He kept mumbling his apologies, but at least he dropped his voice.

As I lay there I analysed what had happened this morning. I was completely puzzled by Edward's actions; he shouldn't have tried to save me at all. First of all, he barely knew me, and shouldn't have any reason to save me. Secondly, he had just revealed that he wasn't human, which would have had terrible consequences if I hadn't been the human in question. Thirdly, at the speed that Tyler's van was moving, he had had little time to react. It seemed that he had saved me instinctively, which was strange because he shouldn't have any reason to react like that.

I just couldn't understand why he had saved me. I was slightly angry that he had nearly revealed his existence to an entire school, which would have had disastrous consequences for both the vampire world, and the humans who saw something. However, I was more than a little grateful too. If he hadn't saved me I would have had a very hard time explaining why there was a dent in the shape of a human in Tyler's van and why I wasn't dead. Or even worse, if I had pushed out my shield and sent Tyler's van flying away from me I wouldn't have even had a chance to lie before I was chucked into an examination room. So all in all, it was very lucky that Edward had been there.

I was interrupted from my puzzling thoughts by a familiar velvet voice. "Is she sleeping?" he asked. I opened my eyes to see Edward standing near the foot of my bed.

Tyler stopped his pathetic rambling, "Oh hey Edward. I'm so sorry man. I could have killed you."

I smirked a little at that and Edward chuckled softly. "No blood no foul." He replied. I snorted softly. Edward turned to me curiously, and I quickly composed my face. "How are you?" he enquired.

"I'm fine." I informed him confidently, I knew my shield had protected me. "But they won't let me go until a doctor sees me." I grumbled.

He grinned crookedly at me and I felt my heart stutter. Inwardly I chastised myself for reacting like that. I had never met anyone that had that kind of effect on me. "Don't worry, I'm come to spring you." He assured me.

As if on cue, a handsome blonde vampire entered the room. I smiled at Carlisle. "Hi doc," I greeted him, "I knew you missed having me over, so I thought I'd come visit," I joked.

He smiled back, though there was some slight uneasiness in his eyes- no doubt he had been informed about Edward's superhuman exhibition, "Bella, you know you're welcome at our house anytime, you don't have to go to such extreme lengths to see me," he retaliated.

We both chuckled as he looked over my chart, and completed the forms. "Edward said you hit your head. How is it feeling?" he asked, his fingers gently probing my skull for any signs of bruising.

"It's fine, it wasn't that hard." I assured him, "I barely felt it," which was true, thanks to my shield I hadn't felt it.

"Well, in that case you're good to go home, I think your father's out in the waiting room." He informed me.

I mentally winced at the idea of Charlie trying to take care of me for the day. "Can't I go back to school?" I asked desperately.

"I think you should take today off." Carlisle said firmly.

"Does he get to go back to school?" I asked rebelliously, indicating Edward.

Edward smiled smugly at me, "Someone has to share the good news that we survived."

"Actually, I think most of the school's in the waiting room." Carlisle corrected. I groaned. Seeing this, Carlisle offered, "Would you like to stay a bit longer?"

"No, no," I said quickly, hopping hastily off the bed. I stumbled a bit as I landed and Edward was suddenly next to me, catching me in his comforting arms. I looked up surprised, and found that he seems as shocked by his actions as I was. I hesitantly looked over at Tyler, and sighed with relief as I noticed that he had rolled over on his side and was facing away from us, luckily missing Edward's exhibition of speed.

I reluctantly stood myself up properly, and Edward let his arms drop to his sides. Carlisle looked on curiously, his golden eyes missing nothing. "Well I'm sure I'll see you soon Bella," Carlisle said, "Hopefully outside of the hospital next time." He grinned before moving over to Tyler.

I turned immediately to Edward. "You owe me an explanation." I reminded him, whispering softly so that Tyler wouldn't overhear. I knew he was unlikely to tell me the truth, but I was curious as to whether he would try to lie to me, or just try to brush it off.

He immediately turned, and led me out of the room and down a hallway until we were alone. Then he faced me, his expression cold and hard. "I saved your life, I don't owe you anything," he said harshly, in an obvious attempt to scare me and stop me from asking questions.

Unfortunately for him, I was completely unafraid of him, and I glared right back. "Look," I hissed at him, for some reason it bothered me that he didn't trust me with his secret, although rationally I knew he didn't know me well enough, and shouldn't tell me, "If you're worried about me telling anyone, you can relax, I have no intentions of saying anything." I growled.

His eyes widened slightly and a surprised look flashed across his face before his cold facade was back up again, "Then why does it matter?" he demanded.

"I just want to know- for me. I want to know why I'm lying for you." I explained. Technically, I already knew, but I wanted him to tell me himself.

Can't you just thank me and get over it?" he demanded.

"Thank you," I said gratefully, if he hadn't saved me my gift probably would have been revealed.

His eyes searched mine silently for a few moments before he sighed. "You not going to let this go are you?" he asked. I shook my head, determination in my eyes. "Well then, I hope you enjoy disappointment." He warned before turning and walking quickly away.

"Why did you even bother?" I asked angrily at his back.

He paused, "I don't know," he whispered softly, then continued to walk away.

I sighed in momentary defeat as I turned and headed back to the waiting room. As Carlisle had predicted, most of the junior grade was crammed in there. I quickly grabbed Charlie and dragged him out of there, trying to avoid as many questions as possible. I knew the other Cullens wouldn't be there, it wasn't really safe for vampires to come into a hospital, where there were so many open wounds, unless they had impeccable control. In fact I was impressed that Edward had easily been able to ignore the scent of blood from Tyler's open wounds.

Thankfully, when we got home, Charlie had to go to the police station, so I buried myself in my magazines and books, trying to forget my puzzled thoughts. Eventually Charlie came home and we had a quiet dinner before I went up to bed.

That night I slept with a shield wrapped around me, fully aware that by Volturi Law, I was supposed to be killed by the Cullens. Of course, as the Volturi Princess, I was technically exempt, but they didn't know that.

I could only hope that the Cullen's would decide that they wouldn't kill me. I didn't think they would because they obviously didn't like killing humans, and I got along well with them. Of course, if they did decide to kill me my gift would quickly be revealed, and I would be forced to tell them everything, and employ my rank as Volturi Princess to keep them quiet, which would probably mean a visit from Volterra for my guards.


	14. Weekend with the Vampires

When I arrived at school, as I suspected, the Cullens acted differently. Edward ignored me, treating me as though there was a glass wall between us, and after his vague nod in reply to my, "Good morning Edward," I let him be. I was slightly hurt that he felt the need to ignore me, but I understood to an extent. He was trying to separate me from the vampire world, and I wished I could tell him that his efforts were pointless- I was already far more prominent in his world then he realised.

The others also acted different, but they didn't ignore me. Alice was even friendlier than normal- if that's even possible. I remembered that she saw visions of the future and probably knew we were still going to be friends, and that I wouldn't tell anyone their secret. Jasper was wary, but I knew he was just being protective of Alice, so I didn't let it bother me. Rose was still friendly, although she was a bit more reserved and cautious. Emmett of course, was, well... Emmett. He didn't seem to be bothered at all, and was the same as always, his boisterous attitude lifting the others slightly.

At lunch Rose finally asked cautiously, "So are you sure you're alright Bella?"

I smiled at her, "I'm fine Rose, not even a scratch on me. I'm lucky Edward was there to pull me out of the way."

The others looked at me, slightly surprised that I was lying to them as well, before Alice answered, "Yes, we'd all hate to think of what would have happened if he wasn't there." She assured me.

I grinned slightly and subtly changed the subject, "I have to admit though that I'm a little annoyed that my truck wasn't badly damaged," I groaned, "It would have been the perfect opportunity to get a new car."

They chuckled at me, "Don't worry Bella, you can always keep praying that a tree will fall on it," Emmett reminded me. I looked up to see his speculative expression and wondered whether he might anonymously push a tree onto my truck if I parked under one. I hoped so.

It bothered me more than I'd like to admit that Edward was ignoring me, and I could only hope that it wouldn't last long.

When I got home I decided it was time for a call to Volterra, no doubt they would be interested in this development. I sighed, wondering why I couldn't have found a normal school with no vampires in attendance for my final years of high school. But then I realised that I wouldn't have wanted that anyway, things were much more interesting with the Cullens around, especially Edward.

Knowing Charlie wouldn't be home for a couple of hours, I speed dialled Volterra. When they picked up I had Uncle Aro call all of them together to explain the car crash incident, and my confusion as to why Edward had instinctively saved me.

Caius was worried about exposure, but he soon calmed down when I assured him that I was the only one to see anything. They all talked quickly, their voices too quiet for me to hear over the phone, before Uncle Aro came back to me. "Bella, we think it would be best if you told them soon that you know about vampires." I drew a quick breath in surprise, "But of course, don't tell them about your gift, or that the vampires you know are us," he continued quickly. "Obviously they are going to be confused if you keep acting like you don't know anything when it's obvious you do, especially with how comfortable you are with them, so it's best if you just say you ran into a few vampires in Europe when you were four. Just omit our names, and the fact that you were in Italy." He reminded me.

"Okay," I agreed.

"If you do end up having to reveal your gift, or your connection to us, we'd rather you bring them to Volterra, where we can explain things to them properly." Uncle Caius added.

I agreed, and was surprised when Uncle Marcus spoke up next, "Bella, I know you're confused about Edward's reasons behind his instinct to save you, and I doubt he fully understands the reasons behind his actions yet either. But you know my gift is seeing relationships, so I have quite a lot of experience in this area, and from what you described, it sounds as though Edward reacted that way to keep his mate safe."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing, "Mate?" I asked, confused.

"Yes, you," He informed me.

"You think I'm Edward's mate, and that's why he saved me?" I clarified.

"Exactly, none of the other vampires there reacted like that, and they probably wouldn't have been fast enough to save you even if they had because they would have had to make a conscious decision. Edward acted on instinct, and the most likely reason for that is because you are his mate." He explained.

"Wonderful!" I heard a delighted Aro exclaim in the background.

I groaned, "But I'm human," I protested.

Marcus chuckled at me, "That doesn't change anything Bella, vampires can still find their mates even if it's a human, they just normally change them fairly soon after."

"Oh," I said lamely, trying to process all of this information.

'I'm surprised that Aro didn't teach you about vampire mates before," Marcus mused, "Didn't you know that vampires mate for life, and that when they first touch their mate they feel a spark jump between them, which is them bonding for eternity?" he asked me.

"Oh, so that's what that was," I muttered, remembering back to when I first shook Edward's hand.

"So he is your mate." I heard Aro declare happily in the background.

I listened to them quietly for a little while longer as they all congratulated me on finding my mate, before hanging up to go and start dinner for Charlie.

I continued to think about everything Marcus had said as I made dinner, unsure of what to think about Edward being my mate. I knew it explained many things, like the way I felt around him, how content I was when he touched me, and how lost I felt when he wasn't there. I sighed as I realised that he obviously had no idea that I was his mate, he had looked just as shocked as me when we felt the spark, though I suspected Jasper, and probably Alice as well, both knew.

Dinner with Charlie was a quiet affair, as I told him how nice the Cullens were, and that I was really enjoying my stay here. He seemed pleased that I liked Forks so much, and I was glad that I had come.

The rest of the week passed by relatively quietly, Edward still acting as if there was a wall of glass between us. Santiago had told me during our phone call that my Maserati would be arriving on Friday afternoon, and when I told Rose she immediately invited me to stay for the weekend so that we could work on it. Alice got a faraway look before she squealed and bounced with excitement, "Oh Bella, we're going to have so much fun!" she exclaimed. I didn't doubt her.

When Friday afternoon finally came I found myself chafing in my truck as I willed it to go faster, eager to see my new car. I finally reached the Cullen mansion to find the whole family minus Edward, staring at my new car. I hurriedly parked and rushed over. "Hi Esme, Carlisle," I greeted them before turning to fully appreciate my beautiful, shiny new midnight blue Maserati GTS. I sighed with happiness.

Rose held out my keys and I excitedly took them. "Jump in," I told Rose and Alice as I got into the driver's seat. The car purred to life, and I revved the engine and took off out of the driveway. We sped away from Forks, I wasn't going to risk being pulled over by my father and having to explain why I was speeding in a brand new, very expensive car, though I was fairly certain that Alice would warn me before that happened.

After we took a short joyride, I headed back to the Cullen's discussing with Rose on the way what kind of enhancements we should make. When we arrived back I took one look at Emmett's sad, disappointed face and sighed. I chucked Jasper the keys, "Take Emmett and knock yourselves out," I said.

Emmett looked happy for a minute before he frowned, "How come I don't get to drive?" he whined.

I chuckled at him, "Because I want my car to come back in one piece, and Jasper is more likely to keep it that way."

He shrugged, accepting my explanation, and he and Jasper were soon heading out of the driveway.

I spent the rest of the afternoon in the lounge with Esme, Alice and Rose. I helped Rose plan the modifications to my Maserati, which we would begin tomorrow, Rose assuring me that they would all be done by next week- I didn't doubt her, with no need for sleep I was sure Rose would be in the garage for most of next week's nights. Emmett and Jasper gave us back the keys when they came back, singing the cars praises.

Once I was finished with Rose, and she went outside to do some work on her own car, I turned to see what Alice was doing. I found her sketching three dresses. "What are you doing Alice?" I asked, trying to get a better look.

"I'm designing the dresses we're going to be wearing for the girl' choice spring dance that's coming up in 3 weeks."

"There's a dance coming up?" I asked, confused that I hadn't heard it mentioned before.

"Yep," Alice chirped happily, "And we're all going. I've already asked Jasper of course, and Rose has asked Emmett. Who are you going to ask?"

"Um, I hadn't really thought about it." I muttered. Remembering my promise to my Volterra vampires that I would go to all the dances, and send them pictures, I groaned, realising that I would need to ask someone. To be honest, the only person that came to mind that I wouldn't mind going with was Edward. I sighed, that wasn't really an option with him avoiding me. In fact it hadn't escaped my notice that even though I was in his house he had purposely locked himself in his room to keep away from me. I had a feeling that I wouldn't be catching any glimpses of my mate at all this weekend.

I knew he was in his room due to my shield. Once I had met a person, I could identify them when I wrapped shield around them, as long as they were within a five mile radius, because they all felt different in my mind. When I let my shield fan out to shroud everyone in the house, I could feel Jasper in the library, Emmett in his room, Edward in his room, Carlisle in his study, Rosalie in the garage, and Alice, Esme and I in the lounge room. I sent my shield out in a five mile radius and found no other sentient beings in the area, only small woodland creatures, before I withdrew it again.

"Oh well, you have a couple of weeks to ask someone," Alice mused, bringing me back from my thoughts.

I shrugged, I knew the only person I would ask was Edward, I would rather not go and face the wrath of five angry female Volterra vampires, than have to go with the likes of Mike, Eric or Tyler, whose eyes now followed my every more at school like a puppies. But I figured that I might as well ask Edward, it wouldn't hurt to try, in fact I was curious to see whether he would turn me, his mate, down.

As soon as I made my decision I saw Alice's face look blank for a second before she smiled happily at me. I took that as a good sign and I threw myself into helping Alice design the dresses.

All too soon it was dinner time, and I was surprised to find that Esme was an incredibly talented cook, especially for someone who couldn't taste what she made. With the exception of Edward, we were all sitting at the dinner table, which I guessed didn't get used very often, with me eating, and pretending not to notice that they were simply rearranging the food on their plates, or, I suspected, placing bits in napkins on their laps. I took my first bite of the chicken alfredo and moaned. "Esme, this is delicious," I complimented her. She beamed in appreciation, and the others chimed in with their own expressions of appreciation, their faces of mild disgust not matching their words.

Once I had finished dinner, and Esme had banned me from helping her clean up, I sized up the vampires in front of me. "Are any of you good at chess?" I asked hopefully, "I have trouble finding good opponents." I explained.

Jasper's eyes lit up. "As a matter of fact Bella, I happen to be very good at chess. In fact I'm one of the best players in the house, only Edward and Alice can beat me."

"Yeah, but they cheat," Emmett muttered.

"Well in that case Jasper, I would love to play against you. The best of five?" I suggested.

"If you think you can beat me," He said cockily, before leading me out into the lounge room and setting up a chessboard on the coffee table. Everyone followed us out; no doubt curious to see whether I could actually hold my own against a vampire who had probably been playing for hundreds of years.

I let Jasper win the first game while I got a feel for his tactics. Then I proceeded to thoroughly beat him in the second game. "Checkmate," I said smugly. His mouth dropped open in shock, and I could feel the vampires behind me shaking with laughter.

"Unbelievable," he muttered under his breath as he reset the board for our third game. This time I could feel his determination to win, but using a tactic Caius had taught me, I eventually managed to win again. Emmett burst into raucous laughter as Jasper began to look annoyed. The fourth game, Jasper won again, this time using a combination of tactics I had never seen before, and catching me off guard. He looked at me triumphantly as he got me into checkmate.

I gritted my teeth in determination as we started our last game. This one went on for ages, neither of us willing to concede defeat. Finally, with each of us having only a queen, castle, and king left on the board, I managed to surround him. "Checkmate!" I yelled triumphantly, jumping up excitedly.

"Go Bella!" Emmett cheered behind me.

Jasper just smiled, graceful in defeat, "Congratulations Bella, you are an excellent opponent. We will definitely have to do this again."

I nodded enthusiastically, "I'm so glad I managed to find someone who can hold their own at chess here in Forks."

My euphoric mood however, was soon dimmed by Carlisle casually observing, "A friend of mine in Italy has a similar tactic to that."

I made a conscious effort not to stiffen as I smiled at him, "Your friend must be an excellent player then," I commented, struggling to keep my enthusiasm levels up so that Jasper wouldn't notice anything.

Not long after, it was time for me to go to bed. I walked into the spare room to find it fully furnished with a beautiful king size bed, a bedside table and lamp, and bookshelves. On the wall was a framed canvas print of one of the photos we had had someone take during our shopping trip. It showed Rose, Alice and I sitting together at the top of w huge waterslide, screaming with excitement. I smiled at the happy memories it evoked as I got ready for bed.

My bed was extremely comfortable, and I was soon sleeping peacefully.

As usual, my dreams mainly consisted of Edward.

The rest of the weekend mainly consisted of me helping Rose in the garage with my Maserati as we discussed cars, or beating Emmett at video games, much to his disappointment. Emmett just couldn't believe how I knew all the tips and tricks to winning almost every game he had, as I smugly thought about all my gaming sessions with Felix and Demetri. "Bella," he whined at me, "How'd you get a better gun than me?"

"You just have to know where to look Em," I said haughtily, laughing at his expression.

I soon got tired of videogames though, and I took a break, going to the bathroom. As I came back, I passed by Carlisle's study, and noticed that he was reading the same medical journal Aunt Sulpicia had sent me. I stopped, curious to get his impressions. "Have you read about the new wonder drug Cortalin yet?" I asked, leaning in his doorway.

He looked up at me in surprise, "You've read this?" he asked incredulously, indicating the journal.

I shrugged, and nodded, "I read it earlier this week," I muttered, suddenly aware that I had just shown them yet again how different I was from normal humans, all because I was curious to get his opinion. I decided that I had already jumped in, might as well start swimming. "Personally, I think this drug had some great attributes, and the potential to make the lives of many much better, but the price is going to be a bit of a problem." I observed, making my way into the office and settling in one of the chairs.

Carlisle nodded in agreement, "It's a pity that it costs so much to manufacture; it would have great benefits if it was going to be available worldwide. In fact I have a patient that I would love to trial some on, but I'm afraid it's much too expensive for him to be able to afford it," He sighed.

"Of course the side effects could be a bit of a problem too." I observed.

"Yes," he agreed, "But they don't happen with everyone, and I think if they started off with small doses, and gradually increased the medication, the patients would be less likely to experience the side effects." I agreed, and we continued to debate the pros and cons of the new drug.

That is how we were found four hours later, still discussing the drug, as the curious faces of Esme, Alice, and Jasper looked in through the open doorway. When they heard what we were discussing, their expressions turned to amusement and shock. Esme looked pleased, "Honey, as happy as I am that you have found someone new to discuss your new medical journal with, Bella hasn't eaten for a while, and it's time for dinner." She informed us. I reluctantly got up, stiff from sitting still for so long, and followed them downstairs.

Dinner was similar to the night before, Esme once again producing a delicious meal, and soon after I bid them goodnight and went to bed.

I woke up with a start in the middle of the night, my sixth sense telling me someone was close by. I cast out my shield searching, and found someone standing outside my closed door. I recognised him instantly, "Edward," I breathed. With my shield wrapped around him, I felt him stiffen slightly before relaxing. I knew instinctively that he had been in my room, watching me sleep, I just didn't know why. I hoped I hadn't been sleep talking, my Volterra vampires had told me that it was something I did often, and with my dreams constantly revolving around Edward lately, I could only imagine what I had said.

I sighed before rolling over and going back to sleep. I knew I wasn't going to get any answers tonight.

The next day I went home early, thanking them all for having me. I spent a quiet day at home with Charlie, doing mundane things like cleaning, cooking, and getting ahead on schoolwork. It was relaxing, and it gave me time to sort through my hectic and confusing week. I went to sleep that night peaceful, as I wondered what my next week of high school would bring. One thing was for sure, with five vampires in school, it was bound to be anything but boring.


	15. Invitations

The next couple of days at school were fairly normal, with the Cullen's all being their usual friendly selves and Edward ignoring me. I had gotten over feeling hurt by his silence, and now I just felt annoyed. The rest of his family didn't see the need to avoid me so why did he? I decided I was going to have to tell them soon that I knew what they were. Hopefully that would make Edward relax and start talking to me again.

During these days though, sometimes I would catch Edward staring at me, and when our eyes met, neither of us could look away. It happened a few times, once in Biology, and twice while we were sitting together at lunch. The first time our eyes met we stared intensely at each other, completely oblivious to the rest of the class, until Mr Banner interrupted us by asking me a question about meiosis.

The second and third times, Alice interrupted us, giving us a knowing smile as she did and confirming my suspicions that she knew we were mates, in fact she had probably seen some of our future together.

Despite these looks, Edward still didn't talk to me until Wednesday arrived. I had just joined a still silent Edward at my biology table when Mike walked up. To give him credit, since his little 'talk' with Emmett he had stopped being so cocky around me, and usually either avoided me, or was incredibly polite. Still, it was a little odd for him to approach me. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Edward stiffen slightly, and surmised that whatever Mike was up to, Edward didn't like it. "So Bella, I just wanted to apologise again for treating you like that on your first week," he had an appropriately abashed look on his face, but I could tell he was lying. I mentally groaned, couldn't this guy take a hint?

I tried to smile, which it came out closer to a grimace, as he continued to talk. "So Jessica asked me to the spring dance," he stated.

I grinned happily, if he was going with her he wouldn't be asking me out, "That's great Mike." I exclaimed.

He frowned slightly, "Yeah, well I told her I would think about it." I grimaced slightly at that, "I thought I wait and see if you asked me first, because I would totally go with you." He finished with a wink.

Next to me Edward's hand clenched into a fist, and I half hoped that he would backhand Mike across the room for asking out his mate. No such luck. I put on my best fake smile. "Sorry Mike, but I've already got someone in mind to ask and it isn't you." I said as sweetly as possible. I would rather walk naked through fire than go to the dance with him.

In the first stroke of luck I had had all day, the class started and Mike was forced to go to his seat. I turned slightly, and once again my eyes were locked into a staring match with Edwards, but this time his eyes held a type of emotion I couldn't identify. Once again we were interrupted by Mr Banner, and as Edward turned to answer I let my hair fall around my face, hiding the sudden blush I now had on my cheeks.

I could feel Edward's gaze on me throughout the lesson, and eventually he whispered softly, "Tu és tão bela, e ainda assim tão difícil de ler (Portuguese for: You are so beautiful and yet so hard to read)."

My eyes darted up to his in shock. I knew he hadn't meant for me to understand it, but I was glad that I did, and, if I was being honest, I was pleased that he thought I was beautiful, and smug that he couldn't read my mind. "Eu estou longe de ser bela, e fico contente por ser difícil de ler (I'm hardly beautiful, and I'm thankful that I'm hard to read)." I whispered back in flawless Portuguese.

He looked at me in astonishment. "tatandaan ko iyan, (Filipino for: I'll have to remember that)." He muttered to himself softly, obviously filing away that I understood Portuguese.

I grinned, "Sempre naman (Yes you will)," I replied, yet again surprising him with my knowledge of yet another language.

This time he smiled softly back, and I could see from his eyes that he was testing me. "Ima li bilo koji ja mogu govoriti jezike koje nećete razumjeti? (Is there any languages I can speak that you won't understand?)" He asked in perfect Croatian.

My smile broadened, "Ne znam, ali možete zadržati i pokušavate otkriti (I don't know, but you can keep trying and find out)," I replied, cocking my eyebrow in challenge.

He just smiled back before addressing my earlier comment. "You are beautiful Bella," he said, his eyes showing that he was being truthful.

I shrugged. I knew I wasn't ugly, but having lived with a family of inhumanly gorgeous vampires for most of my life, my perception of beauty was rather swayed, and it was hard to see myself as anything but plain in comparison. "Whatever Edward," I dismissed his comment, although secretly, include I was tingling with happiness.

He looked like he was going to reply, but the bell went. Realising my time with Edward was over and that he would probably go back to ignoring me; I quickly turned and packed up my books.

I stood, surprised to find that we were the only ones left in the class. I was startled when I heard him address me. "Bella?' he asked.

I sighed, turning around to face him, my previous anger at him ignoring me resurfacing, "What? Are you talking to me now?" I demanded.

He smiled softly, "No, not really," he admitted. I glared at him, and he cringed slightly, "I'm sorry I've been treating you like this, but it's better this way." He explained. At my disbelieving look he continued, "It's better if we're not friends Bella, I'm not a good friend for you."

It was obvious that he truly believed that he was bad for me. For some reason that made me madder. "Whatever Edward, maybe if you'd figured that out a little sooner you could have saved yourself all this regret and just let the van hit me." I hissed angrily, my eyes fierce.

He looked stunned and his expression turned angry, "You think I regret saving you?" he asked, stepping forward until we were nose to nose.

I glared up at him, "Don't you?" I said harshly.

He matched my expression, "You don't know anything," he growled before stepping back from me, his jaw clenched.

I picked up my books and hurried out of the classroom, heading for gym, I know a lot more than you think Edward, I thought rebelliously, still seething from our encounter. Stupid vampire mate thought he could ignore me for a week and I would be friendly when he finally decided to talk to me again.

Unfortunately for me, my day did not get any better. Before I could get to my truck after school I was accosted by Eric. I sighed; I had a sneaking suspicion that this conversation wasn't going to be one I'd enjoy.

Sure enough, Eric didn't disappoint. "Hi Bella," he managed to stutter out.

"Hi Eric," I smiled softly at him. He wasn't a bad kid, a little shy, but relatively nice, I just didn't really like him, we had nothing in common.

"I was wondering if you would go to the dance with me." He said quickly, his words merging into one.

If I hadn't grown up with fast whispering vampires I wouldn't have understood a word he had said. I decided to let him down easily since he wasn't really a bad guy. I smiled apologetically, "Sorry Eric, but I already have someone in mind that I'd like to ask." I explained. Although, thinking about it now, I was still angry at Edward, so maybe I wouldn't ask him after all.

"Oh, yeah," he said awkwardly, "That's okay. Bye Bella." He quickly made his escape, and I sighed in relief as I got into my truck. I heard a low chuckle, and turned to see Edward getting into his car. I glared at him, and reversed out, but I was soon cut off behind Edward, who had blocked me, and was now waiting for his siblings, who were slowly heading over to him, confusion evident on their faces.

I glared at his car, tempted to dent it with my truck, and wondered why Edward had purposely stopped me from leaving. It didn't take long for my answer to arrive in the form of Tyler knocking on my window. I rolled it down. "Hi Tyler, I'm sorry you're stuck behind me." I said, gritting my teeth and praying that he wasn't going to ask me to the dance.

God must hate me. "Oh that's fine Bella, I just thought that while you're stuck here I'd ask you if you were going to ask me to the spring dance." He said with confidence in his tone.

My jaw clenched in annoyance, "Sorry Tyler, but I already know who I want to ask, and it isn't you." I informed him harshly, my quota of patience for the day well and truly used up.

"Oh," he said, seeming surprised that it wasn't him I was planning to ask, "That's okay, we still have prom," he said cheerfully as he walked back to his car. I stared after him in disbelief. There was no way I was going to prom with him, I shuddered at the thought. I turned back to see the rest of the Cullens getting into the Volvo, with Edward shaking with laughter in the driver's seat, no doubt he had found my run in with Tyler funny, I thought furiously as he drove away.

That night I was woken by another feeling that someone was watching me, and as I cast my shield out I realised that yet again Edward was watching me sleep, this time from the tree outside my window. I rolled over, realising there was nothing I could do about it right now. I had no idea why he seemed to find watching me sleep so fascinating, but I couldn't help feeling slightly warmer at the thought of being close by. I just hoped that I wouldn't say anything embarrassing in my sleep. I fell back to sleep quickly, for some reason feeling more comfortable knowing my mate was close by.

The next day I drove to school desperately trying to forget about my unhealthy obsession with Edward Cullen. Of course, as soon as I spotted his silver Volvo I was back to my thoughts about him. My only consolation was that, judging by his prescience outside my room last night, he was just as obsessed with me as I was with him.

I was surprised when I got out of my truck, and Edward immediately approached. "Hello Bella," he said softly, smiling at me.

I stared at him suspiciously, wondering why he was talking to me again. "Hey Edward," I smiled hesitantly. Then I remembered him purposely stopping me escaping from Tyler after school yesterday. "So what was with the big hold up yesterday in the parking lot?" I asked, my eyes narrowing into slits.

He looked amused, "I didn't want Tyler to miss his chance," he said, his eyes dancing and a smile forming on his face.

I was momentarily distracted by how unbelievably gorgeous he looked when he was smiling. Then I frowned, furious at being set up. "Why you..." my fists clenched in anger, and I couldn't think of a word bad enough to describe him. I wanted so badly to hit him with my shield and throw him through a building, or at the very least place a thin ring of my shield around one of his fingers and compress until his finger fell off. I figured that was reasonable, I knew it would reattach, I had "cut off" limbs from both Felix and Demetri with my shields before when they aggravated me.

Of course, realising that I could do neither without revealing myself, I settled for growling at him. "So are you trying to irritate me to death since Tyler's van didn't do the job?" I had to admit, at the moment I was more likely to die from being annoyed by Edward than I was by a van hitting me.

Edward's eyes flashed angrily. "You are utterly absurd Bella."

I simply glared at him. "Why are you talking to me anyway? Didn't you say you didn't want to be friends?"

"I only said it would be better if we weren't friends, not that I didn't want to be." He clarified.

I rolled my eyes. "Well thanks for clearing that up," I said sarcastically as I continued walking towards the school buildings. "What did you want to talk about anyway?"

He tensed suddenly and, surprisingly, he looked nervous. "Um, well I wanted to ask you something." He started.

I stopped and looked up at him, his eyes were unsure. I sighed. "Spit it out Edward."

"Well, normally I wouldn't do this, since it's supposed to be a girls choice dance and I heard you say you already had someone in mind to ask, but seeing as three guys have already asked you, I um..." he trailed off nervously, shoving a hand through his gorgeous bronze hair.

My mouth opened in shock and I'd be lying if I said I didn't find this situation amusing. Edward was nervous about asking me to the spring dance! Internally I was doing a happy dance. "Well, since you haven't actually asked yet, and it is a girl's choice, would you go to the spring dance with me Edward?" I asked, searching his eyes for my answer.

He smiled, "I would love to Bella." Then he looked thoughtful. "But what about the guy you wanted to ask?"

I rolled my eyes, "You were the guy I was going to ask Edward." I was exasperated. Evidently Alice hadn't told him who I had wanted to ask.

"Oh," he looked pleased. "Sit with me at lunch?" he asked suddenly.

I frowned, confused. 'I always sit with you and your family at lunch."

"I know, but I meant, would you sit with me by ourselves." He explained.

My eyes widened in astonishment and confusion, "Okay." I agreed.

He gave me a beautiful grin then, "Thank you Bella." The bell event and we turned towards our classes. As if he suddenly felt guilty, he stopped, "You really should stay away from me," he warned, then kept walking.

I watched for a second. Too late, I thought dryly.

I continued towards my class, eagerly anticipating lunch.


	16. Blood Type

The rest of my morning passed in anticipation of lunch, and when I finally reached the cafeteria my eyes eagerly searched for Edward. He was sitting alone, a tray of food already waiting on the table. I noted that he had picked my favourites; pizza, lemonade and an apple. He gave me a crooked grin as our eyes met, and I immediately headed for him, ignoring the jealous stares I was receiving from Jessica and Lauren, and the amused and curious glances of the other Cullens as they realised where I was heading.

I reached the table and sat down opposite Edward. He slid the tray of food towards me and I took a bite of pizza, chewing slowly. I looked up at him. He seemed unsure. "Well this is different." I started.

"Well, I decided that if I was going to hell, I might as well do it thoroughly." He explained cryptically.

I frowned, it sounded as if he thought he would be condemned for being friendly to me. "I'm not quite sure what you mean by that." I stated, confused.

"I know I'm kind of counting on that." He smiled softly.

"So what brought this on?" I asked, genuinely curious about the reason behind his sudden change in demeanour.

His eyes turned intense. "I'm tired of trying to stay away from you Bella." He admitted.

"Then don't," I said, looking deeply into his eyes as I reached out and placed my hand on his. He flinched, and then seemed surprised when I didn't react to the coldness of his skin. Eventually he retraced his hand.

I unscrewed the cap off the lemonade and took a sip, closely observing him. "So, in plain terms, are we friend now?" I asked hopefully.

"Friends," he mused, seeming to think it over.

"Or not," I muttered.

"Well, we can try, I suppose, but I'm warning you now that I'm not a good friend for you."

"You say that a lot," I observed.

"I'm hoping that eventually you'll heed my warning. If you were smart you'd stay away from me," he explained, his eyes worried.

"I think you've made your opinion of my intellect more than clear." I said angrily. He smiled apologetically. "So, while I'm being not smart, we can be friends?" I clarified.

He nodded. "Yes."

I stared at him for a while longer. I wanted to tell him I knew that he was a vampire, and that I didn't care, but I knew this wasn't the right time or place to do it.

Eventually his voice cut through my thoughts. "What are you thinking?" he asked. I smiled; I doubted that he'd ever had to ask that before.

"I was just wondering whether you were more like batman or superman," I joked.

He smiled a little at that, but then his expression turned serious. "What if I'm not the superhero Bella? What if I'm the bad guy?" He asked.

It was obvious that he really believed he was bad, and I felt compassion for him. I looked up into his eyes, wanting to convey my message with sincerity. "You may be dangerous Edward, but I will never believe you are bad." I said firmly, my gaze never wavering from his. His expression was surprised, then hopeful. I knew he was a long way from fully believing that, but I was determined to eventually make him see that he was good.

We remained locked in each other's gazes until the bell rang, and I jumped slightly, startled. "We'd better get to class," I mumbled reluctantly.

He sighed, "I'm not going today," he informed me.

My eyes narrowed in suspicion, "Why not?" I demanded.

He shrugged, "Sometimes ditching is healthy."

I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion. Obviously he knew something about the class that I didn't, but I knew there was no point arguing. I contemplated ditching with him, but I didn't want it getting back to dad. "Well, I'll see you later then." I smiled and unwillingly left the cafeteria, looking back at him one last time.

I arrived just before Mr Banner, and I settled at my lonely lab table, curious to see the reason for Edward ditching.

When I saw what Mr Banner had with him I mentally kicked myself. I should have known. Blood typing. Well Edward was right. It was definitely healthier for the other students if the vampires ditched class when everyone was blood typing.

I tried to focus on Mr Banner's demonstration, but the moment he pricked Mike's finger with a needle and the scent, a combination of rust and salt, hit me, I started feeling clammy and faint. I slowly lowered my head to the desk, trying not to breathe through my nose.

Mr Banner noticed when he handed out kits to everyone. "Bella are you feeling all right?"

"No sir," I muttered softly.

"Do you need to see the nurse?"

I nodded slowly. "Can I have a volunteer to take Bella to the nurse?" he asked the rest of the class.

I didn't even have to look up to know that Mike would volunteer, eager to get his hands on me, but I didn't have the strength to fend him off as he helped me out of the classroom and we headed in the direction of the office.

Once we were outside, and out of Mr Banner's range of sight I pushed Mike away and lay down on the path, the cold cement under my cheek. "Wow Bella, you're green." Mike observed anxiously.

I didn't answer. Just then another, I heard another, very recognisable voice, advancing towards me. "Bella," Edward called, concern in his tone.

"Go away Edward," I grumbled, I didn't need him seeing me like this.

He ignored me, "What's wrong?" he asked Mike.

"I don't know," he replied nervously, "We were blood typing in biology, but she didn't even prick her finger. I was taking her to the nurse, but she wouldn't go any further."

"I'll take her, you go back to class," Edward said, in a tone that brooked no arguments. Mike didn't even bother to reply, just turned and headed back to class.

I suddenly found myself off the ground and cradled bridal style in Edwards's arms. "Put me down!" I demanded, trying to sound angry, but in my current state it came out pitifully weak. He ignored me, and as we walked I felt myself relaxing against his comforting, strong arms, my head resting softly on his shoulder.

"So you faint at the sight of blood?" he seemed amused. I shrugged; I knew he'd find it ironic; all the Volterra vampires did too. "And not even your own blood either."

I sighed, and just enjoyed the feeling of being in his arms. All too soon I felt us enter a warm building, and I opened my eyes to see Mrs Cope's shocked face. "She fainted in Biology," Edward explained, walking past her and placing my on the bed in the nurse's room.

The nurse quickly put down he book she had been reading, "They're blood typing in biology," he told her.

She nodded in understanding. "There's always one." Edward silently shook, holding is his laughter at that, and I opened my eyes again to glare at him. "I'll be right back with an ice pack dear," the nurse told me before turning to Edward, "You can go back to class now."

Edward looked as he confidently, his face giving no indication that he was lying to her, "I'm supposed to stay with her."

The nurse seemed to accept it because she simply nodded and left the room. I rolled over onto my side, facing him. "You could have warned me that they were blood typing today." I said petulantly. "I take it you don't react well to blood either." I stated.

"Yes, and if I had known how you react to blood I would have told you." He assured me, amusement still prominent in his eyes.

I looked at him, annoyance written on my face.

He chuckled softly, "You really scared me," he admitted, "I thought Mike was dragging your body off into the woods."

"Ha ha."

"Honestly, I've seen corpses with better colour- I was concerned that I might have to avenge your murder." I had no doubt he would have. I chuckled softly, almost pleased by that thought, then I felt guilty; Mike hadn't actually done anything bad enough to warrant me thinking like that.

The nurse returned with an icepack, which I held to my forehead, and I found that I was starting to feel a bit better, the walls of the room now staying still in my vision.

Just then I heard the door to the outside office open, and Mrs Cope called through, 'We've got another one."

I jumped off the bed so that the next person could use it, handing the nurse back her icepack, "Here, I don't need this."

I saw Edward stiffen slightly. "Oh no," he muttered anxiously, "Get out to the office Bella." He warned. I smelt the first scent of blood and rushed out of the nurse's room, Edward hot on my heels. We passed Mike helping a guy bleeding guy towards the room we had vacated. I took a big breath of fresh air when we reached the receptionist's desk, grateful that there was no scent of blood. Edward turned to me surprised, "You actually listened to me."

"I smelt the blood," I explained, I had to admit that I was impressed with his ability to ignore fresh human blood.

He looked confused, "Humans can't smell blood." Humans? I thought. Way to make yourself sound normal Edward.

"Well I can, it smells like rust and salt, that's why I faint."

He stared at me in silence until Mike came out. "You're looking better," Mike observed.

I looked at him indifferently; I wasn't going to waste energy by actually bothering to talk to him.

"So are you coming back to class?"

I stared at him incredulously, "Are you kidding? You're still blood typing in there."

"Oh," he looked sheepish. "So did Jess ask you about coming to the beach with us this Saturday?" he asked.

I nodded, recalling the conversation I'd had with Jessica during Trig. They were all going to La Push beach, and I didn't really feel comfortable going there when I knew there was a pack of shape shifters there. I didn't intend to make friends with a natural enemy of vampires, even if they did have a treaty with the Cullens. "I'm sorry Mike, but I don't think I can come. I already have plans for Saturday." I said. I had been planning to check out the forest close to home, and maybe get in a bit of practise time with my shield if I could find a secluded spot and my vampire stalker wasn't around.

"Oh, that's okay, maybe another time." He looked disappointed, and I felt a slight twinge of guilt. "See you in gym," he said, heading back to class.

I was not looking forward to a gym lesson where I would have to put up with his disappointed glances and pointless attempts at flirting. "Gym, "I groaned.

"I can take care of that," Edward whispered softly in my ear, and I felt my body give and involuntary shudder as his cool breath hit my neck. "Go sit down and look pale," he instructed.

That wasn't a hard command to follow, I always looked pale, and after my recent fainting spell, I now had a pasty colour very similar to a vampire's skin tone. I sat down and listened as Edward used his smooth velvet voice and compelling golden eyes to charm Mrs Cope into letting us go home early. I could practically hear her start hyperventilating.

I looked up as Edward came back over. Without asking, he picked me up again and carried me out. I protested weakly, not wanting to seem pathetic, but it was really too comfortable in his arms for me to move.

We headed outside and towards the parking lot. A light drizzle had set in and I lifted my face, grateful for the light rain that washed the perspiration from my forehead. "So what are your plans for the weekend?" Edward asked.

I smiled, "I don't know," I replied truthfully, "I just said that to get out of going to La Push." He seemed pleased by this, "I think I'll just stay around the house, maybe see where the trail behind the house leads," I explained.

His body tensed slightly. "The woods aren't always safe Bella, I don't think it's a good idea for you to go hiking alone."

His concern warmed me slightly, but I knew I'd be perfectly safe. "Don't worry Edward, I won't go far," I assured him.

He didn't seem reassured. We reached the parking lot, and he immediately headed for his car. Realising that he intended to take me home, I asked, "What about my truck?"

He shrugged, "I'll get Alice to drop it off."

"I'm perfectly fine, I can drive home." I protested half heartedly.

He didn't answer, just continued towing me towards his car. When we reached it he opened the passenger door for me gently placed me inside. He closed the door behind me and was soon in the driver's seat, starting up the engine.

The silence was annoying me as we left the school, so I reached over and turned on his radio. To my surprise, Clair de Lune was playing. I relaxed, humming along to the music. He turned to me, a soft smile playing on his lips, "Sometimes, Bella, you don't seem seventeen." He observed.

I shrugged, returning his smile, "Just because I have taste in music doesn't mean I have to be old. I was always a mature child. I guess it stems from having a mother that is so childlike. I always ended up taking care of her." I explained, surprisingly myself by how open I was with Edward. "It was good for her when I went to boarding school, she learnt how to take care of herself, and she found Phil."

"And you approve of him for your mother?"

"Yes," I replied simply, "He's a couple of years younger than her, but she's always been young for her age, so he suits her. Besides, he makes her very happy." I was very happy, and partially relieved that Renee had found someone. I knew that in a couple of years I wouldn't be able to see her anymore, so I was incredibly pleased that she had someone else to take care of her now.

"That's very considerate of you," he observed, then he turned quiet, his voice lowering as he hesitantly asked, "Do you think your mother would be happy for you no matter who your choice was?" his eyes looked anxious.

"Yes, as long as she felt that that person loved me, she would be happy for me no matter what," I answered him truthfully. I knew my mother, and if she truly felt I was happy she would never stand in the way of it. That was why I had been allowed to spend six months a year in Volterra- she knew how happy it made me.

Edward looked thoughtful, his eyes showing some doubt at my statement. "So what about you Edward?" I asked, distracting him from his thoughts, "When did Carlisle and Esme adopt you?" Then I winced, realising what I'd asked, "Oh I'm sorry, Edward, if it's too hard for you to think about just forget it, I can be a little insensitive at times." I hastily backtracked.

"No, it's fine," he assured me, "My real parents died a long time ago."

I'll bet, I thought dryly.

"They both caught got very sick and died." He explained.

I thought back in history, wondering if it was likely to be an epidemic that his parents had died in. "Where were you born?" I asked.

"Chicago."

I nodded at him as I sifted though my history lessons, immediately hitting on the Spanish Influenza that went though the country in the early 1900's. I knew that that was the most likely one. No doubt Carlisle had been working as a doctor during that time. As I thought about it I realised that that would make Edward around 100 years old, relatively young for a vampire. "What about your siblings?" I asked, having temporarily sated my curiosity about Edward.

He sighed and looked outside. "Now that you mention them, I should be going back to pick them up." I suddenly realised that we had been stopped outside my house for the last ten minutes and I hadn't even noticed. He was avoiding my question. Oh well, it was better than lying to me.

"Oh, sorry." I said, unbuckling my seatbelt and opening the door. "Thank you for the ride Edward. I'll see you tomorrow?"

He looked apologetic. "Actually Bella, Emmett and I are going hiking up near Goats Rocks Wilderness, south of Mt Rainier for the weekend and we're leaving this afternoon."

"Oh," I tried not to look disappointed; of course they needed to hunt. "Well have fun," I told him, trying to sound enthusiastic.

He smirked at me, obviously not buying it, "I'm sure we will."

I finally stepped out of the car and closed the door. Just before I turned away the window rolled down. Inside Edward was still smiling. "Next time Bella, you can tell me more about your family." I smiled at that as I watched him drive away. Which one? I thought to myself as I turned and headed inside.


	17. Lovesick

The next day at school I spent in a rather melancholy mood, my mind constantly wondering back to thoughts of Edward. I felt strangely incomplete without him nearby, and I realised how dependent I had gotten on having him near. These days at school, and at night, I almost always had a shield around Edward when he wasn't in my line of sight so that I could feel that he was near. Knowing that he wasn't in school today had a major dampening effect on my mood, which was easily picked up at lunch by the three vampires who hadn't gone on the "hiking" trip.

Alice was the first to say anything, her eyes sparkling humorously as she asked, "So Bella, you seem a little down today, not missing a certain tall, handsome, bronze-haired brother of mine are you?"

"No," I lied quickly. Unfortunately, I could tell from the looks on their faces that they weren't buying my denial one bit.

"Bella, has anyone ever told you that you're a terrible liar?" Jasper asked, causing Alice and Rosalie to snicker.

I glared at him in response. He just laughed. Rose decided that it was her turn to tease me, 'Bella and Edward, sitting in a tree..." she trailed off suggestively, and I couldn't help but envision it. I blushed and all three of them laughed at me.

They kept up their relentless teasing for the rest of the day, and I sighed with relief when I finally got into my truck and escape from the school. I received a text from them not long after saying they were sorry they hadn't told me earlier, but they were going on a family camping trip for the weekend and wouldn't be back until Wednesday. I had to admit that I was a little saddened that I wouldn't be able to see them, but I knew the reason- the weather forecast for the weekend and early next week was sunny, and no doubt they wouldn't want to show off their sparkliness. While I was disappointed, I was happy to have the weekend to myself and do something peaceful. Being with Alice and Rose was tiring sometimes, although I enjoyed every moment of it.

That night I was surprised when at dinner time when the first words out of Charlie's mouth were, "So have you asked anyone to the spring dance that's coming up?"

My jaw dropped, I honestly hadn't expected him to know about that, and I wasn't sure how he'd take the news that I was actually going with a guy. I found myself desperately hoping that he would approve of Edward. "Um, yes, actually Dad I asked Edward Cullen, and he said yes."

Charlie's mouth opened slightly. "Edward Cullen huh? I didn't know you knew him so well."

At least he wasn't panicking at the idea of me with a guy. "Well I met him through Rose and Alice of course."

He nodded in understanding, "Well the Cullens are great people Bella, and I'm glad you've made such good friends. I suppose if you were going to date anyone I would rather it be someone like Edward- he seems very responsible for his age."

I grinned inwardly at that; If only Charlie knew just how old Edward was. Then I blushed as I registered his words, "Dad, it's not like that." I mumbled, embarrassed. We could both hear the unspoken "yet," in the room.

Thankfully Charlie seemed to realise that I was sufficiently embarrassed, and he changed the subject. "So what are you plans for the weekend Bells? Any plans with the Cullens?"

I shook my head, "No Dad, they're all camping this weekend, so I'm just going to hand around the house, maybe go outside and get some sun, and relax. What about you Dad? Fishing again?"

He grinned at me, "Yep, I've found a new spot to try out."

"Well have fun Dad." I said as I got up and started washing the dishes.

"Will do, Bells." He answered, as he left to go to the lounge and watch some sport.

I had a harder time getting to sleep that night, knowing my favourite vampire wasn't nearby. By the time morning came I was bleary eyed and still tired as I got dressed and had a lonely breakfast, Charlie had already left for the day.

I went shopping first, getting the groceries we'd need for me to cook meals for the two of us for the week. As I passed the library on my way home I made a mental note to go to Seattle in the next few weeks for some books. I knew from my previous visits to Forks that the library was poorly stocked. I hoped to have found a way to incapacitate my truck by then so I could pick out a new car at the same time. I continued to think up different ways to destroy my truck until I got home.

By the time I had unpacked the groceries and put on the first load of laundry it was nearly midday and the sun was shining brightly- a rare occurrence in Forks. I decided that it was the perfect time to go for a walk. I locked up the house and headed out into the backyard, where a trail stared in the back corner. Before heading into the forest I cast my shield around a small boulder that sat at the nearby. This meant that as long as I stayed within 5 miles of home I would never get lost because I could simply "Feel" my way back through my shield- now anchored around the boulder.

I headed out into the forest, the sunshine streaming through in different places, tinted green by the trees. The peacefulness, while relaxing at first, soon brought Edward back to the forefront of my mind and I found myself desperately longing for him to be near.

I stopped after a couple of miles incredibly frustrated with myself for acting so lovesick. Bringing up a shield I threw it angrily at a large tree, causing it to break at the base of the trunk and topple over onto the tree behind it.

My anger faded after that outburst and I levitated myself up into the branches of another tree, about 100 feet up and looked out, enjoying the scenery around me as I calmed down. Soon enough though, I found myself wishing Edward was here to enjoy the view with me. I sighed. I thought hard about my reactions to Edward over the weeks, how his grin made me go weak and how he constantly dazzled me with his eyes.

I was more than a little annoyed that he unknowingly had such a large effect on me, yet I didn't seem to affect him at all. I knew we were mates and I vividly remembered the spark that ran though me when we touched. Thinking about that I realised that in all probability all mates felt like half of them had been ripped away when the other wasn't near. Hopefully that meant that Edward was missing me too.

As I continued to analyse my feelings they all kept leading me back to the same conclusion: I was wholeheartedly in love with Edward Cullen- my vampire mate.

Not long after I came to this conclusion, I realised that the sky had started to darken, so I jumped out of the tree, freefalling through the air until I was about 10 feet away from the ground, where I cast a shield out underneath and caught myself- like bouncing on a trampoline.

I headed home, using the shield around the boulder in the backyard to guide me as I had deviated from the path.

After my epiphany I had a relatively quiet weekend, I no longer bothered to squelch my thoughts of Edward- knowing it was useless anyway.

On Sunday night I again woke up with the familiar feeling of being watched, and again found that Edward was nearby. This time though, he wasn't outside my window, he was sitting, frozen, in the rocking chair, I didn't move, or even open my eyes, "Edward," I sighed contentedly, before falling back to sleep, happy that he was back.

EPOV

I arrived back with Emmett late Sunday night. Emmett was a little annoyed at me because I had been brooding throughout our hunting trip. I had missed Bella so much. Not being able to be near her or at least track her through the minds of others like I usually did at school was torture. I knew without a doubt that I was in love with her, and I had tried to avoid her when I had figured it out after saving her from being hit by Tyler's van. However, I had not counted on just how mesmerising Bella was, and after a week of ignoring her I had snapped when Mike asked her to the spring dance. For a moment there I had entertained the thought of breaking Mike's neck.

I had felt unbelievably euphoric when she had asked me to the dance the next day, especially when I found out that I was the one she had been planning to ask all along, in spite of my previously frigid behaviour to her. I had admitted to her that day that I couldn't stay away from her anymore, and I meant it. Bella was now the centre of my universe, and being away from her was unbelievably difficult.

I had taken to watching her sleep at night after her first night at our house, not only did it mean I was closer to her, but I was intrigued by her sleep talking. I couldn't help it when I first heard her sleep talking and sighing my name, so every night after that I spent watching her sleep, insanely happy when she murmured my name. Occasionally she mentioned her mother, and father, and one time she muttered something about beating Felix and Demetri, but I had no idea what she was talking about- I figured it was random nonsense, perhaps some characters from a novel.

When I thought about how she had planned to go hiking on the weekend I nearly rushed back to Forks a day early, but Emmett had put his foot down. He told me that just because I was lovesick it didn't mean I could get out of a hunting trip. In return for me staying he promised not to tell Bella just how madly in love with her I was. I knew she was meant to be my mate, but she didn't even know what kind of dangerous creature I was. Jasper had finally slipped up in his thoughts the day that I saved Bella, and after getting the gist of his thoughts I had turned to Carlisle, who had explained about the electricity I had felt when I touched Bella, and my fascination with her- it was another reason I had tried to stay away. She deserved so much better than me; a monster and for that reason alone I wasn't planning on telling her that she was my mate. I knew she didn't believe I was bad, that was obvious, and while part of me was overjoyed by that, another part wanted her safely away from me. I just didn't know if I could ever bear to part with her.

Sunday night I had happily run over to Bella's house, after enduring some comments from Emmett, being called whipped by Jasper, and having the rest of the family smirk knowingly at me. I was eager to be near her. She had woken just after I settled in the rocking chair, her breath faltering for a minute. She didn't move or open her eyes, just sighed, "Edward," contentedly before going back to sleep. I felt warmth flood through me at her uttering my name; it was like she could sense that I was nearby and was happy about it. I watched her for the rest of the night in adoration; Bella had to be the most amazing creature on the Earth.

I left just before the sun came up, incredibly disappointed that I couldn't go to school with her, and repulsed by my sparkling skin. I arrived home, and changed before sitting down at my piano to pass the time until Bella woke up and left for school.

As I played, I found the song morphing into a melody that had been running through my head for the last couple of days. It was a lullaby, beautiful and sweet, with a hint of power behind it. Bella, of course, had inspired it, her actions continually amazing me.

I hadn't even noticed that Esme and Alice had crept up behind me while I played. They both looked like they would be crying if that was a possibility for vampires. "That was beautiful Edward," Esme said softly, her eyes shining with happiness.

Alice smiled as well, her thoughts in agreement with Esme's. "Bella will be leaving for school in ten minutes," she informed me.

I got up, "Thanks Alice," I said as I left the house. I headed to the school and found a tree in the forest where I could sit on the branches and be in thought hearing range of everyone in the school without being close enough that anyone coming into the forest would see me sparkling.

After what felt like an eternity, but was actually only a few minutes, I heard the chugging of Bella's truck in the distance, and she soon pulled into the parking lot. She was earlier than usual, and there weren't many people there. I watched as she grabbed her jacket and sat on it on one of the outside benches, soaking up the sun. The brightness brought out the beautiful red tones of her mahogany hair and she seemed to be enjoying it.

As she settled she turned and looked into the forest as if she knew I was there- which was impossible for a human, I was well out of range of even a vampire's eyes. She smiled softly before turning and picking up a novel to read- Wuthering Heights. She sat there reading for a while, not noticing how the school was piling up with people until Mike approached her. I let loose and involuntary growl.

"Hi Bella," he said, causing her to jump slightly and put the book down.

She rolled her eyes at him, obviously not liking the fact that he had approached her again. "Hi Mike." She answered shortly.

From his thoughts I could tell that he thought she was happy to be near him. Of course she likes me, who doesn't? I'll bet she only asked Cullen because she felt sorry for him, or his sisters asked her to. I'm positive she'd love to go out with me tonight, and maybe dessert could be at my house... I snarled as his thoughts turned vulgar and images played in his head of Bella naked at his house. "So Bella, how about dinner with me tonight?" he winked confidently at her, obviously forgetting that all his previous attempts to ask her out had failed. I tightened my grip on the branch above my head and sat up.

Through Mike's eyes I watched Bella's eyes narrow. "Mike, I am only going to say this one time, so you'd better listen. I. Do. Not. Like. You, and I never will, so stop asking me out. In fact, don't come near me at all. If you can't do that I will ask Emmett to tattoo my instructions into your face with his fist." By the end she was snarling viciously at him.

He backed away, Damn, she looks scary, if looks could kill I'd probably be six feet under right now, he thought to himself as he mumbled, "Sorry Bella," before walking off as quickly as he could.

I sat back in the tree, letting the branch I had been holding fall to the ground in pieces. I was proud of her, and I had to admit, just a little intimidated by her glare.

I followed her through her classmates for the rest of the day, happy when she made friends with Angela- a very kind girl whose thoughts were always kind. Jessica tried to prise gossip out of Bella again, but Bella continuously brushed her off.

At lunch I listened in interest. Bella was talking to Angela. Always a person who included others, Angela offered, "Bella, would you like to come dress shopping with us tomorrow night?"

I looked on as Bella smiled apologetically, "Sorry Angela, but I already have my dress; Alice deigned it for me." I frowned in confusion; Alice hadn't mentioned anything to me at all. "But I would be happy to go with you and help you pick out yours," Bella offered, seeing Angela's disappointed face.

Angela smiled, "Thanks Bella, that would be wonderful," she said gratefully, "We'll pick you up right after school tomorrow," she offered. Bella smiled back and the conversation changed to another topic.

I continued watching her all day, following her home from school and watching, entranced as she hummed to some of my favourite classical songs and cooked dinner that night. I only went home to change clothes and shower, racing back to watch Bella sleep.

The next day was relatively boring as I yet again stalked Bella through everyone's minds. Eventually school let up, and after seeing Bella safely off to Port Angeles in Jessica's car, I ran back to the house for my Volvo. If Bella was going to Port Angeles, then I was too.


	18. Knowledge

EPOV

I reached Port Angeles only minutes after Bella, Jess and Angela due to my rather fast driving skills. I couldn't get out of the car as the sun was still a few hours from setting, so I was stuck here. I settled and listened to Jess and Angela's thoughts. They had been relatively easy to find as there was only one store in town that sold dresses suitable for a spring dance.

I was a gentleman and pulled out of their minds every time they went into the change rooms. Most of their talk was uninteresting observations about the dresses Jess and Angela tried on, and I found it incredibly boring to listen to. I knew that Bella was going to look much better than any of the other girls at the dance- she always did.

I was looking forward to tomorrow when I would finally be able to be with Bella again and actually talk to her. I would be sharing lunch and biology with Bella again, although I probably couldn't steal her away from my family again and keep her to myself. Alice had complained loudly after we sat away from them last week and had threatened my piano if I tried it again. Besides, I reasoned, as much as I wanted her all to myself- my family loved her, and she seems to love them too.

I continued to tune into the conversation of the three girls in the dress shop. One conversation in particular caught my interest. Jess had asked Bella about her previous boyfriends, and Bella had told them that she'd never had one before. I found that astounding- it couldn't be for lack of interest in her, Bella was quintessential. "I've never found anyone I wanted to date before," she explained.

"What about Edward?" Angela suggested knowingly.

Bella blushed, looking adorable, "Maybe," she answered, "If he ever asks me out." I was intrigued. Did that mean that she would go out with me if I asked? My dead heart felt like it was beating at the thought.

"Well if he doesn't, at least Tyler is taking you to prom." Jessica mentioned.

I growled lightly, nobody was getting their hands on my Bella. I was definitely going to ask her to prom soon. I was pleased with Bella's reaction though. Her eyes opened wide with surprise and she got a look of disgust on her face. "Tyler?" she asked incredulously. At their nod she continued, "I would never go with Tyler, I'd rather go alone than with him." I was insanely pleased by this, but was shocked by her next words. "Besides," she continued, "I'll be going to the prom with Edward." She stated it with complete confidence, and I began to wonder if she would always throw me for loops like this. Yet again I found myself wishing I could read her mind. What could make her so sure that I would ask her to prom? Of course I intended to, but I didn't know how she could know that.

I pulled out of their thoughts after that as Angela was trying on another dress and Jess was wondering what kind of lingerie to but for the night of the dance. Apparently she had great plans for Mike. I was disgusted by the turn of her thoughts. Those two were made for each other. Bella seemed content to read, so I decided to give them a little privacy as I pondered Bella. She was incredibly confusing to me: the way her mind worked was a mystery that I desperately wanted to solve- yet somehow I doubted that I'd ever be able to, even If I could read her mind.

After puzzling for some time I searched again for the thoughts of Jessica and Angela. I found them heading towards an Italian restaurant- La Bella Italia. I soon realised however that Bella wasn't with them, and hadn't been for some time. I got worried. From Jess and Angela's thoughts I ascertained that Bella had gone off on her own in search of a bookstore. I groaned, hoping that she wouldn't run into any trouble on her own.

I was uneasy. I didn't like not knowing where she was so I drove to the only bookstore in Port Angeles, a new-age store. By the time I got there the sun had almost set. I could see from the shopkeeper's thoughts though that nobody had entered the store in the last couple of hours, so it was obvious that Bella had taken one look and decided against entering.

I checked back with Jess and Angel and found them in the restaurant ordering their food as they waited for Bella. Bella was still nowhere to be found. I anxiously drove around the streets near the restaurant and bookstore, searching frantically through everyone's thoughts for any sign of Bella.

The sky was getting darker and my only hope came from the thought that soon I would be able to get out and track Bella's scent.

Finally I found someone thinking about her, but my relief at having found her was extremely short-lived when I realised the dark turn of the thoughts I was hearing. I realised that the man had 3 companions, and they were all stalking Bella, their thoughts intent on raping her. I snarled angrily, gripping the steering wheel tightly as I drove towards the industrial area of Port Angeles. I didn't know exactly where she were, all I could see were tall buildings, but I knew roughly the area she was in. I hoped desperately that one of the men would look up and give me a clue so that I could find them.

My rage continued to build as Bella walked on, seemingly oblivious to the dangerous threat closing in on her. Thankfully, a moment later I spotted a street sign in one of the men's thoughts and I recognised it. Changing my route slightly I sped towards them, hoping I could get there before they hurt her.

I watched fretfully as she suddenly stopped and turned to face the four men shadowing her. They moved to surround her. How thoughtful of the little lady to not put up a fight, the leader thought, although it's almost disappointing- it's always more fun when they're feisty. Bella wouldn't be his first victim. He was surprised however, when she simply looked straight into his eyes and smiled.

To say I was shocked by her smile was an understatement. Only Bella would not find the situation she was in scary- any other young human girl would be rightfully terrified. The leader mentally ran though a list of his victims- none of whom had smiled.

Even more surprising was Bella's next words, "Excellent," she said, and I started to wonder whether she should be admitted to a mental institution. "I haven't had a good excuse to beat someone up in a long time." All our men were now disconcerted, but it only made them more determined.

The leader stepped forward, "Hello darling, we're gonna rock you're world tonight," he smiled evilly at her, moving to grab her. Before he could get hold of her arm she lashed out hard with her leg, her foot hitting the side of his thigh with a sickening crunch. For a moment I was worried that Bella had broken her foot, but I soon realised from the pain now clouding the leader's thoughts and the funny angle his leg was sticking out, that she had broken his femur. I was stunned- she shouldn't have been able to break the largest bone in the human body with a simple leg kick.

Bella didn't look surprised at all though, she simply turned to the remaining three men, "Who's next?" she asked calmly. All three converged on her. One by one she took them all down, using extensive martial arts moves that combined the use of her legs, arms, elbows and knees. Every time she hit them a bone would break, and if I hadn't been so worried about her, and angry about them I would have spent more time puzzling over her strength. Only one of the men managed to hit her, but Bella looked as if she didn't even notice. "You picked the wrong girl to mess with," She snarled at them. I agreed- I was going to tear them apart for intending to hurt her.

I continued watching, infuriated at the men as I neared them. The men were now all in pain; three of them writhing on the ground, while the last one was still fighting Bella. I finally reached them, spinning the car onto the street at top speed and letting the car spin around so that the passenger door was only metres away from Bella. Just as I reached over and opened it Bella gave the last man a broken nose before viciously kicking him hard in the groin. He collapsed in pain and my previous plans of killing them dissipated as I saw how thoroughly beaten they all were. I also knew that as much as I wanted to kill them for their thoughts, I also wanted Bella far away from these despicable creatures. Besides, I reasoned, these men weren't going to be moving anytime soon- I could always come back later, I was sure Rose would love to help me.

All of these thoughts only took a few seconds as I looked out the open passenger door at Bella. "Get in," I commanded, my tone betraying how murderously angry I was.

She got in, grumbling, "Spoilsport," under her breath as she closed the door. My mind boggled over that comment as we sped away. I rushed through stop signs and red lights to get as far away from temptation as possible.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw Bella look over at me and smile a little. Then she seemed to notice how angry I was. She sighed, "So are you more angry because you didn't get to save me, or because those men were trying to rape me?" she asked calmly.

Yet again I was left perplexed by how her mind worked. Her question distracted me slightly from my angry thoughts. "The latter," I answered, before remembering that I should make sure Bella wasn't going into shock. "Are you alright?" I asked. "I saw one of them hit you." I stated, baffled by the fact that she seemed completely calm and pain free. Perhaps she was having a delayed reaction.

She chuckled dryly, "Trust me Edward, I'm fine." For some reason she seemed uncomfortable with this line of questioning, because she quickly changed the subject. "So, it looks like I'm going to have to run Tyler over with my truck." She stated cheerfully as we finally came to a stop in a misused side road on the outskirts of Port Angeles.

I had to chuckle at that, "Why?"

"He's telling everyone that he's taking me to prom," she huffed indignantly, "So I figure that if I run him over he'll probably get the picture that I don't want to go with him and he'll stay away from me," another thought seemed to occur to her, "Maybe I could total my truck at the same time," she mused, her expression thoughtful.

I laughed, my anger dissolving as I listened to her melodic voice and compared the beautiful, fragile girl calmly sitting beside me to the fierce, vicious creature I had seen in the rapists' thoughts. Bella was an enigma to me.

She seemed to notice that I was calmer as she joined me in my laughter, "You really are desperate for a new car huh?" I asked.

"Yep," she answered cheerfully. Suddenly her expression changed as she noticed the time on the dashboard. She cursed, "I was supposed to meet Angela and Jess at the restaurant hours ago," she groaned.

I sighed, and started the car, swiftly driving us back into town before parking in front of La Bella Italia. I hopped out and hurried over to Bella's door, opening it for her. She smiled up at me before accepting my proffered hand and stepping gracefully out of the car. I shut the door behind her, keeping her hand in mine, enjoying the warmth of it. She didn't seem to mind.

I looked down the street and immediately noticed Jessica and Angela walking away from us in search of Bella. I nodded towards them, "Your friends are going to look for you." I informed Bella. "You'd better stop them before they run into our other acquaintances tonight." She shuddered in disgust at the thought of the four men, "Jess, Angela!" she called. They immediately turned and rushed towards her, their eyes lit up with relief.

When they saw me standing next to Bella, her hand still comfortably ensconced in mine, their expressions changed. Angela was happy, thinking about how content Bella looked now that I was there. Jessica's thoughts were clouded with jealousy, her mind suspicious as she wondered whether Bella had planned to ditch them and meet me here. I inwardly rolled my eyes at her thoughts. "Where were you?" Angela asked, "We were so worried."

Bella looked sheepish, "Sorry, I just ran into Edward and we got talking and lost track of time," she lied smoothly.

I took that as my cue to jump in, "Would you mind if I joined you for dinner?" I asked to be polite, knowing they'd already eaten.

"Actually, we already ate while we were waiting," Angela apologised.

I smiled, "That's fine, I'd be happy to take Bella home myself after we've eaten, we don't want to hold you up." I offered.

They looked to Bella for confirmation, and when she gave them a small nod they quickly agreed, saying goodbye before hopping in their car and driving off.

I smiled once they were gone, happy with my good fortune in keeping Bella to myself for a little longer. We walked into the restaurant, and I managed to get the waitress to sit us in a private area, knowing Bella was likely to have some questions as to why I had been in Port Angeles and how I happened to show up when she got into trouble.

Once Bella's dinner order was taken and her drink had arrived I watched warily as she took a small sip, waiting for her to ask a question that I would probably have to lie about. She shocked me with her first question though. "So what's the range of your mind reading?" she asked as if it was the most natural thing in the world to be discussing.

I gaped at her. How did she know about that? "What makes you think I can read minds?" I asked guardedly.

She rolled her eyes at me, "Please Edward," She held up her hand and started ticking things off on her fingers, "You knew which restaurant I was going to without me telling you, you knew where to find me this afternoon, you always seem to know what everyone around you is thinking, and sometimes you even react to something before a person had done it." Was I really that obvious? "But," she continued, "You don't seem to be able to read my mind, so there must be a few exceptions to your talent," she mused.

"Only one," I muttered, an unintentional note of petulance in my tone. She smiled triumphantly at me, and I realised that I had accidently confirmed her theory. The waitress arrived then, bringing Bella's plate of mushroom ravioli. Bella thanked her and dug in.

Once the waitress was out of sight, Bella turned back to me. "So you were stalking me?" she asked, her eyes sparkling with humour.

"Yes," I admitted, "and my range is around 10 miles I guess".

"Well thank you for trying to save me again, but as you saw, I am quite capable of taking care of myself."

"I noticed," I said dryly, "You seem to know a lot about martial arts." I observed, remembering the combinations she had thrown at her attackers.

She grinned and nodded, "I've been studying martial arts since I was four." She admitted, "I could probably take on you, Emmet and Jasper all at once and win," she remarked. I laughed at her incredulously. There was no way she could win against even one of us, not with our superior strength and speed. Bella turned back to her food.

I sat there and watched her eat, stunned by the fact that she didn't seem the least phased by my gift, or that I had admitted to stalking her. I was somewhat relieved though that she hadn't seemed to cotton on to the fact that the reason I had such a gift was because I wasn't human.

She finished her food quickly and I paid the bill, leading her out of the restaurant and back to the car.

We started the drive back to Forks quietly, me driving slower than usual to prolong our time together.

My curiosity soon got the better of me. "Why don't you seem surprised by the fact that I can read minds?" I asked.

She looked over at me calmly, "It's fairly common for vampires to have gifts," she remarked casually, watching for my reaction.

I nearly swerved the car off the road, but managed to keep my hands from moving. "You know what I am?" I whispered in shock.

She sighed, "You and your family aren't the first vampires I've met Edward." She said softly. "When I was four I met three vampires in Europe. I was lost and I watched them drain 3 men, but afterwards they were full and they didn't think I'd make much of a snack, so they let me live. They even helped me find my mother again, and told me a little out vampires. I guess they knew nobody would ever believe a four year old's story about supernatural beings that sparkled in the sun and never slept." She remarked dryly. My hands clenched as I realised just how much she knew about us. "In any case, as you can tell, I'm not scared of you or your family, and judging from the colour of your eyes, and the fact that there haven't been any suspicious deaths in this area, I'm pretty sure your family doesn't have a traditional diet. Not to mention, the Quileute legends about the 'Cold ones' mention that your family only drink from animals."

I was astounded by her knowledge, and extremely surprised that human-drinking vampires would let her live. I was also a little annoyed that the Quileutes had turned out treaty into a legend which the younger generation didn't believe. "How can you not be afraid when you know what we're capable of?" I asked incredulously, "You've seen vampires kill humans with your own eyes, and yet you're completely calm sitting next to me?" I was seriously starting to question her mental health.

She shrugged, "You won't hurt me Edward, and neither will your family."

She said it with such confidence that it made me mad. "You don't know that," I growled, "We are so much stronger than you Bella, we may not intentionally hurt you, but being near us is dangerous. Emmett could accidently hug you too hard and crush you, or your scent could just overwhelm one of us." I explained, frustrated that she didn't see how dangerous it was for her to be around us, and yet some part of me was happy that she wanted to be near us.

"You won't hurt me," she repeated, her voice still completely sure. "If you did, you would have already done it."

I sighed, realising that with Bella's stubbornness I wasn't going to win this argument tonight. "So you really don't care that I'm a monster?" I asked as we passed the sign welcoming people to Forks and headed to her house.

It was Bella's turn to look mad. "You're not a monster Edward. Don't ever say that." Her tone was full of anger. Then she sighed, and calmed down. "I need you to understand something Edward," she started, and I looked at her curiously as I parked to car at her house. "I don't care what you are, I probably wouldn't care even if you did hunt humans." She took a deep breath. "I love you." She admitted softly.

I was stunned, my body tingling with sensation as I revelled in her words, for once pushing my brooding and guilty thoughts about how unworthy of Bella I was aside. I lived in the moment, deliriously happy that this beautiful creature beside me loved me.

I got out, and went around the car, opening the door and helping Bella out, pulling her softly into a hug. "I love you too my beautiful Bella." I whispered softly, looking down at her luminescent face, her eyes shining brightly with happiness at my admission. I leaned down cautiously; making sure the burn in my throat was in check as I softly placed my lips on Bella's. As I softly kissed her, intending on keeping it light, Bella's arms suddenly wound tightly around my neck and her body pressed up against mine as she opened her mouth and sighed into mine, pressing her lips tighter against mine. Our lips moved together, and my whole body felt warm for the first time in nearly a century.

All too soon we were forced to stop as Bella needed to breath and I needed to keep my vampiric urges to drain her blood at bay. I looked down at her and smiled, kissing her softly on the forehead. "I'll see you tomorrow Bella," I said softly, releasing her from my grip and getting back in the car. As I drove away I watched her, smiling after me as she made her way to the porch.

As much as I hated leaving her, I was content, revelling in the feelings that three words from her and a kiss had brought out in me. I couldn't wait to hear her sleep talking tonight.


	19. Trucks and Teasing

I floated happily inside after Edward left, still on a high from the kiss. Charlie looked up from the TV as I passed the lounge room. "Did you have a good time?"

I smiled radiantly at him, "The best Dad," I answered as I passed him and headed upstairs. I showered leisurely, running over my action packed night. Edward's reaction had been interesting, I didn't realise that he felt so strongly about being a vampire. I was definitely not going to tolerate him calling himself a monster anymore. I had been so desperate for him to stop calling himself that that I had blurted out that I loved him on the spot. It had made me nervous when he had literally frozen solid for a few seconds. When he didn't say anything, simply getting out of the car, I was worried that I had said something wrong- or that maybe I was wrong about the reason he had been shadowing me, perhaps he had just been curious. But all my concerns had dissipated the moment he had pulled me to his chest and whispered that he loved me too. I was sure my heart would burst on the spot at his words. His kiss had left me breathless- literally, and I had immediately wished I was already a vampire so that I wouldn't need air.

Of course, inevitably, as I turned off the shower the guilt set in. I knew so much about Edward and his family, including their biggest secret, yet he knew next to nothing about me. I got dressed, wallowing in my guilt- I knew Edward would see straight through me if I didn't admit something soon.

By the time I had gotten dressed and called down, "Night Dad," to Charlie, I had decided that it was time for another phone call to Volterra before Edward arrived.

I filled them all in on my night, Demetri and Felix congratulating me on taking out four men. "Go Bella!" they cheered. Though I could tell that they would have been happier to have been with me and taken care of the men themselves- they took their status as my guards seriously.

My whole family was overjoyed that we had finally professed our love for each other, and I received Aro's smug "I told you so," with good grace.

Finally I got around to explaining how guilty I felt. "I can't keep secrets from them guys; I love them, and I can't do it. I have to tell them. I understand if you don't want me telling them about you guys, and I won't do that unless you ask me too- but I need to at least tell them about my shield." I said. "Besides, it will give them some insurance that I won't tell anyone about them either." I explained.

Aro sighed, "Well, if you're sure Bella, I know how closely you've guarded your secret, and if you feel you can trust them, then go ahead. I know Carlisle is a man with a lot of integrity, and I'm sure his family is too." The others agreed with him.

"Thanks guys," I said, relieved. "I gotta go now, I have school tomorrow, and Edward should be arriving soon." The minute those words came out of my mouth I kicked myself.

They pounced. "He's been spending his nights in your room?" Caius roared.

"Aww, how sweet," Heidi cooed.

'It's not sweet," Marcus argued, "It's inappropriate to creep into a young girl's room- especially uninvited."

I rolled my eyes, even though they couldn't see it. "Guys relax, I like him spending the nights, and don't worry uncles, we won't do anything inappropriate."

"Better not," Caius muttered, "I feel we should at least get to interrogate him before we let you go on a date with him," he grumbled, "If you were already a vampire and we could reveal who you were, then we'd have at least sent Felix and Demetri to rough him up a bit and threaten him."

I laughed, "Don't worry, I'm sure you'll all do it anyway after I graduate and we tell his family the truth." That seemed to reassure them for the moment, and I finished the call not long after.

I opened my window, the lay back on my bed reading as I waited patiently for Edward to arrive. Not long after I heard Charlie's bedroom door close, I felt Edward's presence in the tree outside. "You might as well come in Edward, I know you're out there," I whispered, pleased when his surprised face quickly appeared through my window, followed by the rest of him.

"What are you thinking?" he asked, seeing my amused expression as he closed the window silently behind him.

"I'm thinking about how fun it is to surprise you." I answered, ginning at him.

He smiled back, "Sometimes I wonder if I will ever be able to understand the way your mind works Love," he said. "How did you know I was out there?" he asked curiously.

I sighed; it was time to start telling at least part of the truth. "I can feel you when you're near." I explained. "I know you've been watching me sleep at night."

He looked sheepish, "I couldn't help it," he explained, "I want to be near you as much as possible." I smiled a little at that, "Besides," he mused, "You're very interesting when you sleep- you sleep talk."

I groaned, "I know. I bet I said your name a lot didn't I?" I asked, embarrassed.

He smirked and nodded, "Yes," he looked pleased, but upon seeing my embarrassed face, he crossed the room and held me tightly against him. "Don't be embarrassed," he whispered, his cool breath washing over my. I swooned at his next words, "If I could dream, it would be you I dream about."

"It's not fair that you dazzle me." I accused, as I collapsed in his arms. He looked down at me, smiling, a tender look on his face.

He laughed softly, "Dazzle?" he asked.

"Yes, you make me swoon all the time," I grumbled.

He looked pleased, "I love you Bella," he said as he softly placed his lips on mine and kissed me. The kiss was sweet and tender; the only complaint I had was that it ended too soon.

He laughed at my pouting expression as he pulled away, "You need to get some sleep Bella," he reminded me. I huffed, annoyed because I knew he was right. I pulled him down onto the bed with me- him outside the covers and me under them so I wouldn't get cold. Resting my head on his chest, I felt incredibly content as he reached over and turned off my lamp.

Just before dozed off he seemed to remember something, "Bella?" he asked. I hummed in acknowledgement, "There's a special place where I like to go, and I want to show it to you. Would you like to come with me on Saturday?" he asked.

"I'd love to Edward." I mumbled happily into his chest. "I have something I need to tell you then too. But it really requires a demonstration, so I'd like to show you sometime this weekend." I said, hoping he wouldn't be scared of me when I revealed my gift. I wanted to show him first before telling the rest of his family, and hopefully his special place would be the perfect spot to finally reveal one of my biggest secrets.

I drifted off into a contented sleep after that, steadily breathing in Edward's glorious scent.

EPOV

I lay in bed, happy to finally be holding Bella in my arms. Surprisingly, I had long ago learnt to ignore the burn in my throat when she was near and instead of it hurting, it now served as a reminder that she was close to me- I didn't think I'd ever be able to hurt her now. I was confused by what she had to tell me. I could tell from her voice that whatever it was serious, and important to her. I tried to think of what it might be. Then I thought back to all the things she had done which had amazed me tonight. Things that were impossible feats for someone like Bella. Now that I thought about it, a normal human would not have had enough force to break so many bones, especially not a femur. Her comment about taking on Jasper, Emmett and I at once and winning also disturbed me. At first I had laughed, thinking that she didn't know we were vampires, but now that she had revealed that she had known all along, I was confused. She seemed completely confident in her abilities, and while I would never fight her, or allow my brother's to either, I couldn't help but wonder if she really could do all she claimed. In any case, it was obvious that Bella was much more powerful than she seemed.

Thinking about that, I was brought back to Bella's explanation of meeting a few vampires when she was four. I figured that they were probably nomads, who though Bella was relatively harmless and would probably forget the traumatic experience of watching vampires drain humans. If they had known she would remember they would have been forced to kill her under Volturi law. That reminded me that we would have to be careful with Bella; if the Volturi ever found out that we were friendly with a human who knew about us they would kill her, and possibly us as well.

I moved on from these depressing thoughts, thinking again about Bella. I began to wonder if she really was human; she seemed to have incredible strength, was fearless of vampires, and I couldn't read her mind. Perhaps she wasn't human after all- although she certainly smelled and looked human. But if she was human what possible explanation could she have that would explain everything? I realised I wasn't going to be getting answers from Bella until Saturday, and while I tried to tame my burning curiosity, it wasn't working.

As the sun began to rise again, I was still pondering Bella's secret, but I was no closer to an answer.

BPOV

I woke up from the best sleep I'd hard in years. I soon found out why as I snuggled down into my hard, but comfortable, pillow and it vibrated. Edward was chuckling softly, "You have to wake up Love," he said gently. I grumbled and clutched him tighter. "You've got to get ready for school Bella," he chastised me softly as he picked me up off the bed. Charlie had already left for work, so he carried me to the bathroom, placing my feet on the ground and holding me steady until I got my balance. "You need to get ready while I go home and change. Then I'll come back and pick you up for school." He promised.

I clutched his shirt as he tried to move away from me, looking up into his golden eyes expectantly. "Where's my good morning kiss?" I demanded. He grinned at me before swooping down to capture my lips with his own.

I reluctantly let go of his shirt and he backed out of the bathroom. "I'll be back soon," he promised, "I want to show off my girlfriend to everyone at school, especially Mike Newton."

I grinned, "So you're my boyfriend now hey?" I asked, revelling in the idea of it, but somehow wanting more.

He looked uneasy, "Well, unless you don't want me to be," a frown marred his marble face.

"Of course I do Edward," I quickly reassured him, "I just feel like we are already more than that," I admitted softly.

"Me too." He said tenderly. He sighed, "You have to get ready now Bella, or we'll be late."

I nodded and closed the bathroom door, getting myself ready for the day.

Sure enough, Edward was soon back, and he sat at the table watching curiously as I wolfed down my breakfast, before leading me out to his car.

We arrived at school quickly, and once we were out of the car, the rest of the Cullens, who had been waiting by Rosalie's convertible, converged on us.

Rose came over and hugged me. "Are you sure you're alright after last night," she asked, concern in her eyes.

I nodded, "I'm fine Rose," I assured her, "They didn't touch me." She looked relieved at that. "Don't worry though, they were in no condition to move when I left them lying in pain in the middle of the street." I said smugly. All of the Cullen's chuckled, "Then Edward showed up and ruined my fun," I pouted slightly.

Alice was the first to comment on our relationship though. Jumping up and down with excitement she yelled, "See Edward, I told you it would all work out," triumphantly staring at our joined hands.

His jaw clenched slightly-I wasn't sure why, but then he relaxed and nodded. "Yes Alice, you were right." He said dryly.

"Well it's about time!" Emmett enthused behind her. "Edward here has been moping for weeks and stalking Bella everywhere."

"Shut up Emmett," Edward snarled. I laughed.

"Seriously Bella, before you came Edward was always sad and moody, and now he's happy all the time," Jasper said. Edward sighed, but nodded in admission. "You should have seen him after you asked him to the dance Bella," Jasper continued, and Edward's jaw clenched again, "He was absolutely euphoric." The others snickered.

I smiled up at Edward, "I think it's sweet," I murmured, stretching up on my toes to kiss him softly on the cheek. Edward relaxed, smiling back down at me.

"Aww," the rest of the Cullen's crooned together before bursting out into laughter.

"Hey Bella?" Emmett asked.

I nodded. 'Yes Emmett?" I asked sweetly.

"Now that we know that you know what we are, we can act natural around you when you come over right?" he asked.

I chuckled, "Yes Emmett, now that I know that you know that I know what you are, you are more than welcome to show off your super speed and strength is you want to Emmett."

"Yes," he pumped his fist in the air enthusiastically, "No more playing human at home."

We all laughed at his childlike antics. "Congratulations guys," Rosalie grinned at us, pulling Emmett away as the bell went.

We all headed into our classes, and I was surprised when Edward walked into my English class with me. "Edward, don't you have Trigonometry now?" I asked.

He grinned, "Bella, my schedule matches yours now, Alice got Mrs Cope to change it this morning." He looked pleased.

"Every lesson?" I asked.

"Every lesson." He confirmed.

"That's wonderful Edward," I said enthusiastically, throwing myself into his arms. He hugged me briefly, but when more students started to pile into the room he stopped and found us two desks at the back of the class to sit in. We sat through the lesson holding hands under the table, ignoring the speculative glances of our classmates, and even our teacher.

The rest of our classes were the same, but I didn't care about the looks we were getting as I long as I was with Edward. When we walked into trig together Jessica's eyes bugged out, and her mouth dropped open. We sat down near her and she leaned over, "Are you two a couple now?" she asked, curiosity getting the better of her. I nodded smugly before turning back to Edward. He smiled at me, his golden eyes wickedly amused. Apparently it was because Jess's curiosity had not been sated. "So do you like him?" she hissed, thinking it was low enough that Edward wouldn't hear- I knew better. I nodded, blushing, and turned to look down at my notes. I continued to ignore Jess for the rest of the lesson while she desperately tried to get my attention.

Lunch was an experience. As soon as we sat down Alice pounced, "So Bella, how was your night last night?" Alice asked slyly, her eyes dancing mischievously.

"I'm not talking," I stubbornly announced, crossing my hands over my chest and trying to ignore Alice's famous pout.

I looked over at Rose for help, but she also looked intrigued, "Oh yes you are. Now spill." Rose commanded. Edward, Jasper and Emmett looked on curiously.

"Yeah Bella, or we might have to dazzle you," Alice snickered.

I blushed bright red and buried my head into Edward's chest, which was shaking with laughter. "How do you know about that?" I grumbled at Alice.

"Well," she lowered her voice to a whisper, "My gift is the ability to see the future, and I may have sneaked a peek at your night," Alice said sheepishly.

I unburied my head to glare at her, "You spied on us?" I accused her.

"Well I couldn't help it, I've been wanting you two to get together for weeks, I had to know what was going on," she defended herself. I sighed, realising that there wasn't much I could do about it. I hoped I had sufficiently sidetracked Alice from her questions, but I hadn't. "Now that we've sorted that out, you can tell us about your night- starting with the kiss." Alice demanded.

I groaned, "How come you aren't interrogating Edward as well?" I asked, stalling for time.

"Because we already bombarded him when he came home last night," Emmett chuckled.

I groaned, "Fine, it was amazing, I've never felt anything like that before." I admitted.

They all turned to look at each other, "Did you two plan this?" Alice demanded.

Edward chuckled, and at my confused look he explained, "That's exactly what I said last night." I laughed along with him.

I dodged a few more questions, before Emmett decided that it would be fun to tease me. "So Bella, what exactly does Edward do in your room every night?" he asked, "Does he really just watch you sleep, or do the two of you do something more physical?" he waggled his eyebrows suggestively.

"Well Emmett, if you really must know," I said, leaning towards him. "He really only watches me sleep," I whispered in his ear as if it was a secret.

Emmett looked disappointed, "Aw Bella," he complained. I snickered, then swiped the chocolate cake off his tray. He watched me eating it for a bit before a light flickered in his eyes. "You knew!" he exclaimed, his voice unable to fully vent his frustration as he kept his voice low so that the rest of the school wouldn't hear us, "You knew we found food repulsive! That's why you shoved the cake in my mouth." He accused.

I smirked, "Absolutely," I said proudly, "And if you ever try anything else again, the cake will look like nothing in comparison to what I'll do to you." I warned.

Emmett grinned, "Bring it on Bella." He said smugly, "Just remember that I'm a big scary vampire," he said, baring his teeth menacingly, a hopeful look in his eyes. I held in my laughter, trying to keep a straight face, but it must have come out as a grimace because Emmett looked pleased. "I knew I could scare you." He said proudly.

"Actually Emmett, she was trying not to laugh at you," Jasper corrected him. The whole table burst into laughter at that as Emmett looked disappointed.

"I'll scare you one day," he threatened.

"Emmett," Edward warned.

I ignored him, turning to Emmett, "I doubt it," I said smugly.

Seeing Edward's annoyed glance I decided that it was time to change the subject. "By the way Emmett, I don't suppose I could persuade you to use some of your strength to 'help' a tree topple over onto my truck if I parked under one could you?" I asked.

Emmett's eyes lit up with excitement, "Hell yeah!" he boomed, causing some students near us to look over with surprise. We finalised our plans for totalling my truck this afternoon; Alice mentioning that about half an hour after I got home a storm would hit- the perfect time for a tree to fall on my truck. Edward promised to be my chauffer for the rest of the week.

Alice then mentioned that Sunday would be a perfect day for the six of us to go to Seattle and look for a new car for me, and Rosalie beamed at that. I told them I needed to go to the bookstore anyway, so we planned it out.

That afternoon, after Edward dropped me home, and left to spend some time with his siblings; who he had been neglecting lately by stalking me 24/7, I moved my truck a little further up the driveway, right in the path of a tall tree.

Leaving it there I went inside and quickly finished my homework before starting dinner. Sure enough, thirty minutes later I heard the beginnings of a storm. Not long after Charlie arrived we heard a loud crack, then a bang and a shattering sound. I rushed to the window, and looked out to find my truck totally destroyed, and a large tree resting on it. I feigned surprise. "My truck," I wailed.

Charlie looked apologetic, "Sorry Bella, I know you didn't have it long, we'll get you a new car, and I'll drive you to school for the rest of the week." He promised.

"No, no! Dad it's fine," I protested quickly, panicking slightly, "I'm sure the Cullen's won't mind picking me up for school, and I already made plans with them to go to Seattle on Sunday for some books and shopping, I can pick out a new car then- you know I have plenty of savings." I hurriedly assured him, hoping desperately that he wouldn't try to buy me another slow vehicle.

Luckily, he seemed to like my idea better, and he agreed, before telling me he would arrange to have my truck sent to the wreckers.

I heaved a sigh of relief when I got to my room that night, and settled down to wait for Edward.


	20. Revelations

BPOV

The next couple of days passed by quickly- the six of us playing 20 questions at lunch time to get to know each other better. Thankfully the questions were easy; usually favourite colours, movies, books, etc. They were all reluctant to talk about their pasts, so they didn't ask about mine. I found that I had many of the same tastes as them- having been subjected to a variety of things over the years by my Volterra vampires.

I had the distinct impression from Edward's questions that he was trying to find out what I would like so that he could give me gifts. In return, I paid close attention to his answers, so that if he did get me gifts, I could at least get him a present as well.

When he asked my favourite flower, I fingered my cuff, "Freesias," I answered.

Edward stopped and took a deep breath of my hair. "That's very fitting," he observed, "Your scent smells just like them."

I smiled a little at that, I've been told that before, I thought to myself.

Finally Saturday arrived, and I awoke early and lay comfortably in Edward's arms as I listened to Charlie potter around the house for a bit before he finally left, heading to La Push to visit Billy. I got up once he was gone, eager to see Edward's special place. He had refused to give me any hints about it, and I was now burning with curiosity.

I got ready while Edward left to get his car. I rushed around, getting dressed, throwing down breakfast, and packing myself some energy bars for the day- I was well aware of how forgetful vampires could be when it came to regular meal times.

By the time Edward arrived back I was already waiting impatiently on the porch. He grinned at me, "Excited are we?"

"Yes," I exclaimed, getting into the car. He chuckled softly before putting the car in drive and pulling out. We drove until we hit the end of a dirt road, and I looked forward to see a trail. "Are we hiking?" I asked suspiciously.

"Yes," he admitted, "It's about five miles," he said apologetically.

"Well at least there's a trail," I muttered.

"Actually Bella, we're not taking the trail." He said sheepishly.

I looked at him incredulously, there was no way I was going to be able to go five miles through the forest without a trail and not manage to trip every few steps due to my clumsiness. While I wouldn't be hurt, it was incredibly annoying and slow. "Please tell me I'm not going to be walking." I begged, "Can't you carry me? You're really strong and fast after all." I hadn't felt the rush of a vampire piggyback ride in almost a year.

He looked thoughtful for a second before it turned to excitement, "Of course Bella, I just didn't want to scare you with my speed- I was going to offer on the way back," he admitted as we got out of the car. The sun had started shining; breaking through the clouds, and it was getting warmer. I shrugged out of my jacket, tying it around my waist before turning to Edward. He turned his back to me and crouched down slightly. "Climb on," He sounded incredibly excited.

I jumped up on his back, wrapping my arms and legs tightly around him. It felt comfortable and familiar to me. I sighed happily and rested my chin on Edward's shoulder, "Let's go then," I urged.

Not needing to be told twice, Edward took off like a bullet. He was by far the fastest vampire I had ever met, and the speed was thrilling. In a matter of minutes we had stopped again, and I figured we must be fairly close to wherever Edward was taking me.

He let me down, turning to gauge my reaction. Seeing my bright eyes and excited expression he grinned, "It's exhilarating isn't it?"

"Absolutely," I agreed.

"You didn't even get motion sickness."

I shook my head, "I love speed Edward."

He grinned at me, "We're almost there," he said, "It's just a little further." Taking my hand he led me through the trees. I followed eagerly until the trees stopped. I found myself looking out into a beautiful meadow, adorned with wild flowers and framed by tall trees.

"It's beautiful," I breathed. Turning, I saw Edward, sparkling in the sunlight, his eyes warily watching for my reaction. Suddenly the splendour of the meadow paled beside him. He was gorgeous. I reached up hesitantly to this god-like creature, placing my hand on his sparkling cheek. "Amazing," I murmured, letting my eyes travel over his body. He had unbuttoned his shirt, and I hungrily took in his sparkling form. "You're beautiful." I informed him, looking deep into his honey eyes.

He looked shocked, then angry. He ripped his face away from my hand. "Beautiful?" he asked in disgust, "This is the skin of a killer Bella." His face turned hard. "I'm the world's most dangerous predator." He turned, and sped across the meadow, seeming surprised when my eyes followed the movement. "You can't outrun me," he yelled, seeming furious that I was still standing calmly there. He picked up a tree out of the ground and threw it across the meadow, letting it crash into another tree. "I'm a thousand times stronger than you. I could crush you with one finger Bella." He ran back to my side, his eyes fierce. "I'm dangerous Bella, you shouldn't be near me. Please grasp that." He said it with such conviction that I was suddenly afraid he would leave me.

I snapped that. I threw a shield at him, pushing him flat on his back. Wrapping myself in my own shield I levitated myself up a few feet in the air. I stared down at him furiously, keeping him frozen in place on the ground. He stared back up at me, his butterscotch eyes wide with amazement. "Let me make one thing very clear Edward," I growled at him, sending him my best glare. He winced a little, "You are not dangerous for me." I yelled, venting my anger by picking him up and throwing him through a tree. He crashed through and I picked him up again, rewrapping him in a shield. He fought slightly in surprise as I levitated him towards me until he was hovering just a few feet from me. His eyes actually had some fear in them now as he looked at me in shock. I knew I had to make my point stick. I brought the tree Edward had thrown towards us, until the entire thing was hanging in the air beside us, just inside the tree line. Flexing my shield; I crumbled the tree into sawdust, watching as Edward's eyes open even wider. "I can make you crumble just like that tree Edward." I said ferociously. "If anyone should be afraid, it's you."

I watched as recognition dawned in his eyes and he suddenly realised that I was not fragile. I sighed, feeling my anger dissolve away. I lowered us softly to the ground and took away my shields. I sat down, pulling him down with me, and took his hand. "This wasn't how I was planning on telling you," I explained regretfully. He looked at me, waiting for me to continue. "I have a gift too Edward," I started. "You can't see it, but I can shield myself physically, and others as well." I admitted, staring deeply into his eyes and praying that he wouldn't be scared of me. I watched in relief as the fear in his eyes disappeared and was replaced with relief, and happiness?

"Oh Bella," he breathed, "You have no idea how happy it makes me that you can protect yourself."

I smiled at him, "The only way you could possible hurt me would be to leave Edward." I said seriously.

He smiled sadly at me, but quickly changed the topic to a brighter one. "So this is how you managed to take down four men without a scratch," he mused, "I've been wondering about that."

I chuckled and nodded, 'It's also another reason why the vampires I met when I was four decided against killing me," I confessed, "They couldn't."

"I'm glad," he muttered.

"I needed you to know the truth about me Edward, and I intend on telling the rest of your family too. I want them to feel that they don't have to worry about me telling anyone. I figure that if I tell them my secret and trust them not to tell anyone, then they'll trust me too." I explained, "Call it insurance."

He frowned, "Bella, we already trust you; we know you'd never tell anyone what we are." He said seriously.

I sighed in relief. "Well I'm glad it's out now, although you have to promise me that you won't say anything to them tonight- I want to tell them myself."

He nodded in agreement, "Alice will probably already know," he warned.

"I know," I agreed, "But I don't think she'll tell anyone."

Edward was intrigued with my shield and wanted to know all about it. I told him my limitations, and what I could do with it, explaining all that I could. I left out my mental shield though, knowing that there was no way of telling him how I knew about it without revealing the Volturi.

Finally, after a few hours, we dropped the subject and just lay together comfortably in the meadow, enjoying the sunshine and each other's company.

All too soon though, the sky darkened and I heaved a reluctant sigh, "We have to go back." I muttered.

"I know," Edward agreed unhappily. We stood up, and I shook my legs a little, getting the blood circulation after lying still for so long. I turned to face him. "Thank you for showing me this place Edward," I said softly, reaching up to place a soft kiss on his lips.

He smiled against my lips, "Your welcome Bella. Thank you for telling me about your gift." He whispered, lifting me up slightly and deepening our kiss. I remained wary of his teeth, fully aware of how sharp and deadly they were, as I allowed his tongue to explore my mouth, revelling in the feelings that being with Edward evoked in me.

Eventually he pulled back, "You are my life now," he whispered, looking deep into my eyes. My heart stuttered slightly. Then he slung me on his back and took off for the car.

As we ran I wished the car was further away so that I could stay on his back, enjoying the feeling of his body pressed up against mine while the wind rushed past us.

Unfortunately, my ride was soon over, and I placed a soft kiss on his neck as I slid off. He opened the passenger door for me, and we were soon heading home. As we travelled home, I remembered something I wanted to confirm. "So how old are you really Edward?" I asked.

He looked over at me warily, "I wonder if it will bother you," he observed.

I raised my eyebrows, "Try me," I challenged.

"I was born in 1901," he admitted, "I'm over 100 years old Bella." He watched my face as it split into a big grin. I was right! "I should have known by now that noting phases you," he said dryly.

I laughed, "What about the others?"

"Carlisle is over 350, Japer is around 150, Esme is in her 90's, Rosalie and Emmett in her 80's, and Alice is around 60." He admitted. I nodded in understanding, filing it carefully away for future reference.

For the rest of the drive I had him tell me about how he acquired his family members. He explained that Carlisle had originally changed him when he was dying of the Spanish Flu, and he had been the first of Carlisle's family. Esme came next; she had been found at the base of a cliff, barely alive, and Carlisle had fallen in love on sight.

I winced when I heard that Rosalie had been raped and beaten before being left for dead. No wonder she was so protective of her family.

Emmett's story was almost amusing. He had been mauled badly by a bear- which ironically was now his favourite food. Rose had found him and carried him back to Carlisle.

Alice and Jasper had found them later; Alice's visions leading her to them. "She freaked out Esme and Rosalie when she arrived knowing them both by name; Carlisle, Emmett and I had gone on a hunting trip." He chuckled, "When Alice eventually explained herself and reassured them that she was going to be part of the family, they calmed down and were pretty happy with their new family members. I came home to find her moved into my room, and all my stuff in the garage." He grumbled.

I laughed, "That sounds like something Alice would do." I agreed, snickering. "Why did she pick your room?"

"It had the biggest closet." He grinned.

"Of course," I agreed.

We soon arrived home, and I invited Edward in while I started dinner. He watched quietly as I moved around the kitchen, making a lasagne. "So what's your favourite food?" I asked. "You already mentioned that grizzly bear is Emmett's favourite."

He frowned at my question, "Mountain lion," he admitted.

"Cool," I said, mentally thinking back to my memories of Felix and Demetri hunting, and replacing them with Edward. "Will I ever get to see you hunt?" I asked.

"No," he looked scared at the thought. "It would be far too dangerous for you- I won't risk it, even with your shielding ability." I narrowed my eyes at him, annoyed that he was still hung up over my safety, but I decided to let it go for now.

Edward had to leave soon after because Charlie would be home soon, and I wanted to spend some time with him. I kissed him goodbye, making him promise to come back tonight, and he left.

Not long after, Charlie arrived home, bringing Billy and Jacob with him. I smiled at them "Hi Billy, Jake, how have you been?"

Jake smiled at me, "We've been great Bella," he answered, wheeling Billy's wheelchair into the lounge while Charlie turned on the TV.

Billy didn't look happy though, "Your father tells me you've been hanging around with the Cullens Bella," He stated, his eyes worried.

I froze, I knew he knew about the Cullens; he had a treaty with them after all. "Yes," I replied carefully, hoping he wasn't planning on telling Charlie. I risked a quick glance, to see Charlie obliviously flicking the channels.

Billy's eyes travelled in the same direction. He sighed, "Well be careful Bella," he said, the warning in his voice clear. I nodded, and left them watching the TV.

I headed to the kitchen and Jake followed me, looking curiously between his father and I. Jake helped me finish with dinner and I called them all into the kitchen to eat.

We ate in silence, the three males in front of me wolfing down my lasagne. It me happy to know they enjoyed it so much. Jake helped me with the dishes afterwards, and they prepared to leave.

Billy was left with me for a few moments alone as Jake went to start up their car, and Charlie went to get a fishing lure that Billy wanted to borrow. He turned to me. "Bella, are you aware of the Quileute legends about the 'Cold ones,'" he asked.

I stood my ground, "Yes Billy, I am fully aware of all your legends," I said, a warning in my tone, "Even the one relating specifically to the treaty with the Cullens."

His eyes widened at my admission. "Then you should know that they are dangerous Bella. Stay away from them." He ordered.

My eyes flashed. "No Billy, I know that they are safe- just as your ancestors did when they made the treaty." I said angrily. "It was your grandfather who made it Billy, do you think he would have done that if he felt that the Cullen's were dangerous?" I demanded. My eyes dared him to challenge me.

Before he could answer though, Charlie came back with the lure, and we were forced to act as though we'd been having a friendly conversation about the weather. They left after that, and I quickly said goodnight to Charlie and got ready for bed.

Edward arrived not long after I'd gotten settled under the covers, and he curled up around me as I drifted off to sleep, dreaming of Edward and the meadow.


	21. Cars and Confessions

BPOV

I woke up the nest morning to Edward placing soft kisses all over my face. "Wake up love, we're going to Seattle today," he reminded me. I was immediately wide awake.

I jumped up, and Edward left so that he could come back and pick me up. I got ready and then made my way downstairs. "Good morning," I greeted Charlie as I entered the kitchen. He was sitting at the table with a plate full of bacon and eggs. I got my usual bowl of cereal and joined him.

"Morning," he mumbled through a mouthful, "Off to Seattle today?" he asked.

I nodded excitedly, "I can't wait."

He smiled at my enthusiasm. "By the way, I ran into Mrs Stanley the other day and she told me some interesting news."

I internally groaned, no doubt Jessica's mother loved gossip as much as her daughter did. "Really? What did she say?" I asked cautiously.

"That you and Edward Cullen are now seeing each other." His eyes sparkled with interest.

I sighed, I had known I was going to have to tell him soon anyway, "Yes we are Dad, we just started when I ran into him in Port Angeles on Wednesday while I was shopping with the girls." I explained.

"Ah," he said, "So that's why you were so happy when you came home." He chuckled as I blushed and nodded.

"He'll be the one picking me up this morning," I informed him, "So if you feel the need to interrogate him you can do it then." I wasn't particularly worried; Charlie seemed to like the Cullens, and he'd already said that if I was dating someone he'd prefer it to be Edward.

He nodded his head thoughtfully, "Maybe I'll get out one of my guns and clean it just in case." I rolled my eyes. Males and their dominance displays. He noticed my expression and chuckled a bit before turning solemn. "Seriously though Bells, it looks like he makes you happy, and he seems to be very sensible, so I'm glad you picked him."

I smiled, "Thanks dad." I got up and washed my bowl, before running upstairs to grab my purse. I had a feeling that my little black credit card that was linked to the Volturi bank accounts was going to be put to a lot of use today, although I was planning on buying a less conspicuous car- obviously nothing that would stand out too much when I drove it to school.

Santiago had sent me a list of cars that were still fast, but had a price tag that people wouldn't faint over, weeks ago, when I first told him about my truck, and I had a fair idea of what I wanted- I had even narrowed it down to four choices.

Edward arrived while I was mulling over the pros and cons of my list, weighing up what I knew about them up. I let Charlie answer the door, in case he really did want to interrogate him, while I stood in the background and watched.

"Come in Edward," Dad invited him, "I hear you're finally dating my daughter." His eyes took on a playful glint- he was enjoying this.

Edward was controlling his features so that he didn't give away anything, allowing Charlie to have his fun, "Yes sir, that's correct." He looked over at me, and the adoration in his eyes was recognisable to anyone.

Charlie seemed a little thrown by that, "Well that's good, I was wondering when you were finally going to get up the courage to ask her out," he declared. "When I saw Dr Cullen a few weeks ago we placed bets on it," he admitted.

"What?!" I roared. "You bet on us?" I looked accusingly at Charlie, who had an appropriately abased look on his face. Edward also looked surprised- obviously Carlisle hadn't told him either.

"Yes, and since you guys finally got together on Wednesday night, I won," he declared proudly, "Carlisle bet it would take you until after the spring dance."

I gritted my teeth, "Well if you're done gloating about your bet Dad, we'll be going." I said, trying to push Edward out the door.

"Okay," he replied cheerfully, "Take care of my baby girl Edward."

"I will sir," Edward replied, sincerity ringing in his voice.

With that done we were soon quickly heading to Edward's house to meet up with the others.

When we arrived, I was immediately greeted by Esme with a hug. "Bella it's good to see you again, we missed you coming over last weekend when it was sunny. If we'd known that you already knew we would have invited you over." She apologised.

"It's fine Esme," I assured he, "It was nice to spend a day by myself anyway. At least now you guys don't have to pretend to eat dinners in front of me when I'm over," I laughed. "I have to admit it was very funny watching you guys tell Esme how delicious her cooking was."

All six vampires in front of me chuckled in relief, and I soon realised that there was a seventh one that appeared to be missing. "Where's Emmett?" I asked suspiciously, suddenly on guard. "I wanted to thank him again for totalling my truck."

Edward frowned, "I don't know," he answered, "He's still in the house, but he's blocking me by singing rap songs," his nose scrunched up in disgust.

Alice looked annoyed, "He must be up to something, he hasn't made any decisions, like he's purposely keeping me from seeing what he'll be doing. The only time he does this is when he's planning on pulling a prank."

I was now completely on guard; well aware that Emmett's previous threats to get back at me had been serious.

Suddenly I felt a movement above me, just as Alice yelled, "No Emmett!" I reacted instinctively, realising that Emmett was attempting to pounce on me from the stairs. I turned, shielding myself, and brought my shield clad fist up hard into Emmett's jaw as he tried to grab me. My fist hit Emmett with a loud clap that sounded like thunder, and immediately after I pushed out my shield, throwing Emmett away from me.

As I calmed down, I suddenly realised that I had thrown Emmett straight though the large glass back wall. He sat on grass on the other side, his face shocked and disbelieving. "Oh no," I moaned. "I'm so sorry Esme, I'll pay to have your window fixed." I apologised, turning to see Rosalie, Esme, Carlisle and Jasper staring at me with expressions matching Emmett's, meanwhile Edward looked wickedly amused, and Alice was bouncing with excitement.

"That was so cool Bella," Alice enthused, "Emmett hasn't been thrown like that for over half a century."

That seemed to break them out of their trances. Emmett picked himself off the ground and came in through the hole I'd created, shaking off loose pieces of glass. "Damn Bella, what was that?" he asked, absentmindedly rubbing his jaw.

I turned and smirked at him, "I told you that if you tried to get back at me for the cake thing that I would hurt you- you just didn't believe that I could. I don't make empty threats Emmett."

He looked thoughtful, "Well how was I supposed to know that you could throw a vampire through a window?"

I grinned at him, "You weren't." I turned to the others, who had now gotten over the shock and were looking incredibly curious, "I guess I have some explaining to do," I addressed the five vampires who didn't already know. I headed over to the lounge and sat down. Edward and Alice joined me, the others soon following and arranging themselves on the other pieces of furniture.

Once they were all settled I started explaining what I'd told Edward yesterday about my shield. They were silent throughout my explanation, Carlisle asking me lots of questions, and seeming incredibly interested in my gift. Jasper remained quiet, but there was intrigue in his eyes.

I finished with a demonstration, picking up the couch that I was sharing with Edward and Alice, and hovering it about a foot off the ground. Emmett was the first to speak. "That is so cool little sis!" he yelled, "You're a freak just like us."

"Gee thanks Emmett," I said dryly, secretly revelling in the fact that he had called me his sister. The others chuckled, finally getting over their shock. I could see from the look on Emmett's face that he was figuring out just how much of an advantage my gift would give me in our little war.

Esme came over to give me another hug, "Thank you for trusting us enough to tell us," she said. The other's nodded in agreement. "Oh and don't worry about the window, I'll have it fixed before you kids get back from Seattle this afternoon," she promised, "Emmett breaks things all the time."

"Yeah Bella," Rose chimed in, "He broke the front door last week just by opening it too enthusiastically."

We all laughed at Emmett's expense and he pouted, "I just wanted to see if my new Playstation game had arrived." I relaxed after that, relieved that they had all reacted so well, although slightly remorseful that I had revealed it by throwing Emmett through a window.

We headed out after that, I paused at the door, "By the way Carlisle, I'm not sorry you lost the bet."

I winked at him and he laughed, "Me neither Bella."

Edward explained the bet to the others as we headed to the garage and got into our cars- they all got a good chuckle out of it, with Alice claiming that Carlisle should have asked her if wanted to win. I was driving my newly modified Maserati, with Edward in the passenger seat complaining- apparently he always drove. The others were being driven by Rose in her BMW.

Apparently Edward thought that because I was human there was no possible way that I would be as fast a driver as he was, having only seen my driving skills second hand through the others. He settled down for a slow ride. Rose knew better, and once we were on the highway and headed away from Forks she stepped on the accelerator. Much to Edward's surprise I followed suit, tailing Rose as she raced though the meagre traffic. Once we hit a clear stretch I accelerated even further, pulling up alongside Rose. I pulled out my phone and dialled her number- the speakerphone in my car allowing me to drive and talk to her. "How about a little race Rose?" I suggested, "I wanna see what my baby can do."

"You're on Bella!" I could hear the grin in her voice. We arranged that the finishing point would be the parking lot of the bookstore- the first place I wanted to go to before we went shopping.

Edward looked excited as it dawned on him that I was probably just as fast a driver as he was. He sat back and enjoyed the ride as Rose and I wove through the traffic, overtaking each other as often as possible. Both of us were determined to win, and in no time at all we were entering Seattle. Neck and neck we raced through the streets, drifting around the corners and speeding as much as possible. Alice assured us that we wouldn't get caught, so we didn't care about traffic regulations. I concentrated hard- determined to win, but not wanting to accidently injure any innocent bystanders.

We reached the bookstore parking lot at the same time, much to the disappointment of all. "Draw," Alice declared. Rose and I grumbled- both of us had wanted to win.

Eventually we stopped griping and went into the bookstore, Alice, Emmet and Rose looking bored while Edward, Jasper and I eagerly perused the shelves.

In no time at all I had my selection of books stacked up in Edward's arms and was happily leading him to the counter. Jasper was already there, having already purchased some new war history books, and the others were waiting impatiently nearby. As the shopkeeper scanned my books I noticed that Emmett had bought a book as well. I wondered over to have a look. "What book did you get Emmett?" I asked- Emmett didn't seem the type to get a novel, although it was the right size and shape for one.

He grinned at me, opening his bag and presenting it to me with a flourish. "One Hundred and One Advanced Practical Jokes." He declared proudly.

I burst out laughing, "You're going to need to be more inventive then that if you're planning on going up against me." I informed him. Felix and Demetri had worked their way through that book when I was ten.

His eyes narrowed, "Just because I didn't scare you this morning doesn't mean anything- one way or another, I will get you back for the cake." He threatened.

I smirked, "Whatever you say Emmett," I said before turning back around to go and pay for my stack of books. Of course, Edward had already beaten me there while I had been distracted by Emmett, and my books were now sitting in a bag hanging from his hand. He had a smug look on his face. "Edward, I was going to pay for them," I whined.

He smiled at me, unleashing the full force of his gaze to match his smile. "But I wanted to at least buy you something Love, and I know you won't let me pay for your new car."

His soft voice was the final straw. I tried to resist his deep golden eyes, but it was no use. He dazzled me senseless, "Okay," I breathed. I snapped out of my trance when I heard the others snickering behind me. Edward looked pleased with himself. Annoyed, I grabbed his hand and towed him out of the store.

After we stowed our purchases, we headed for the largest shopping centre in Seattle, where Rose, Alice and I put our credit cards through a workout-dragging the guys along as our personal bag holders. Jasper and Emmett were teasing Edward, who had apparently gotten out of carrying bags for years with the excuse of not having a partner. Now he was being subjected to it for the first time, and seemed shocked by how many bags I was making him carry. The girls and I happily flitted through the shops, buying anything that caught our eye before chucking the bags with our purchases at our men.

Eventually though we had to stop as I was getting hungry and it was time to go car shopping. I got a salad roll to go, and we headed back to our cars- barely managing to stuff all of our purchases in to the two cars. I sat in the passenger seat and ate my lunch as Edward took a turn at driving my car. He seemed to enjoy it, "This is very similar to driving my Aston Martin," he observed.

I grinned, "Yeah, but this is better." I said smugly.

"Absolutely not," he disagreed, looking affronted. We continued to argue over who had the better car until we arrived at the first dealer; Mitsubishi.

I had told Rose of my four choices, and she had agreed with me, which lead to us being at the Mitsubishi dealer looking at a Mitsubishi Eclipse. "Well it looks cool," Alice said.

I nodded, and allowed Rose to charm the dealer into letting us take it for a test drive. But as much as we enjoyed it, I knew it wasn't the one, and we soon left, heading towards the Audi dealer.

The Audi TT coupe we tried was awesome and it reminded me of my R8 back in Italy. I loved it. "This one's definitely staying on the list," I confirmed, and Rose nodded her agreement. Edward looked on fondly.

"It's cute," Alice said, "But the other one looked better." We all rolled our eyes at Alice.

We also tried a Subaru WRX, but it just wasn't as fun as I thought it would be, so I crossed that off the list as well.

Finally we made it to the last caryard; Nissan. Rose and I immediately headed for the 370z, staring at the shiny black car with appreciation. Of course the car dealer was a bit annoying- he didn't seem to think we could handle the power of this car. I gritted my teeth in annoyance. "Look, over there are the two cars we drove here in," I said pointing out my Maserati, and Rose's BMW, "They are just as powerful, if not more powerful, than this car."

Edward stepped up then. Reading the man's mind, he had a better idea of how to reassure the man. "Here's my credit card sir, you are welcome to keep it while we take the car for a test drive, and if there's any problems with the car when we come back I will happily pay for the whole car," he said smoothly.

The man looked at the clack card he'd been handed, then back at our cars. "Okay," he sighed, and gave us the keys.

As the engine purred to life I grinned over at Rose, who was riding shotgun. I put it in gear and tore out of the car lot; relying on Jasper and Edward to calm down the poor salesman.

We ripped through the city, enjoying the thrilling speed. I loved it, and I could tell from Rose's expression that she did too. "This is the one," I decided.

"Good choice," Rosalie approved.

I stopped, and we exchanged places for Rose to drive us back. We sped off again, admiring the acceleration of the car, when all of a sudden police lights flashed behind us. Rose groaned, "Where's Alice or Edward when you need them," she grumbled. I chuckled anxiously as she pulled over and wound down her window.

The officer slowly lumbered up to us. He appeared to be a man in his forties, who, judging by his beer gut and unshaven face, didn't really care for his appearance. He did a double take when he reached the window and spotted Rose. "Hello Officer," she cooed. "How are you?"

He blinked a few times and looked dazed, "Um, I'm just fine ma'm." He stuttered, before seeming to recollect why he was there. "Do you have any idea how fast you were going?" he asked her.

She battered her eyes at him artfully. "No, I'm sorry officer, but I'm running late for a photo shoot, and if I don't get there in the next ten minutes they'll use another model." Her eyes turned sad, "I really wanted to be in this photo shoot," she explained, her voice soft and alluring.

"Um, well," he seemed to be weighing up his options, "Perhaps, if you promise to never do this again and give me your phone number, I could let you off this time," he said.

I held in my shudder of disgust, as Rose smiled radiantly at him, "Certainly Officer," she agreed, pulling paper and a pen out of her bag and writing out a number. I took a quick peek and nearly burst out laughing at the name she had put; Sue Narmi, but I held it in. She handed it to him. "I look forward to your call," she winked at him before closing her window and smoothly driving off. I looked back to see him still standing in the middle of the road a bewildered look on his face.

As soon as we were out of range Rose sped up and we burst out laughing. "Did you give him a real number?" I asked, still chortling in amusement.

"Of course," she replied winking at me, "But it's not mine, it's the number for drag queen meetings."

I looked at her in astonishment, "How do you even know the number for that?" I asked, laughing harder.

"Emmett lost a bet last year, and his punishment was to attend a meeting." She snickered.

We laughed at that all the way back, and when we got there we pulled in to find the others laughing too. "Did you have fun dazzling the poor officer?" Alice asked, evidently she'd seen it and informed the others.

We grinned, "Absolutely."

When everyone calmed down, I announced, "This is the one."

"Are you sure?" Edward asked.

I nodded enthusiastically, pulling out my card and handing it to the salesman who had approached us while we were laughing. "I'll take it." I informed him. He grinned happily as he led us inside to sign the paperwork.

Soon enough I was happily speeding back to Forks in my new black, Nissan 370Z, Edward beside me, grinning at my excitement. Alice and Jasper were in my Maserati, driving it back for me so that I could enjoy my new car.

By the time we got back it was getting dark. We showed Carlisle and Esme my new car before Alice, Rose and I had our men bring out shopping up to our rooms so that we could unpack it. All too soon it was time for me to head home, so I kissed Edward goodbye, noting the fixed window on my way out, and headed back home in my new car, eager to show Charlie.

Predictably, Charlie was impressed. Luckily, he had didn't know how much it was worth. "Wow Bells, that's a nice car," he commented.

I grinned, "I know," I said smugly.

"It's a little fast don't you think?" He asked concerned.

I sighed, "Yeah, but it's got the latest in safety features," I assured him.

He looked at me for a second, to gauge my sincerity and I kept my face open and honest.

He finally sighed in resignation, "Well that's good I guess." I hugged him enthusiastically and he looked shocked for a second before he returned the hug. "You really like the car huh?" he chuckled

"Yep," I answered.

I spent the rest of the evening content with my purchase, and happily fell asleep using Edward as my pillow that night.


	22. Spring Dance

BPOV

As usual Edward woke me up the next morning for the start of another week of school. He kissed me softly until I was awake. I whined when he stopped and he chuckled, "You are becoming very predictable in the mornings Bella." He murmured.

I hugged him to me tightly, "You're the best alarm clock ever," I muttered into his chest.

I could hear the grin in his voice as he answered, "That's good to know love."

I could hear something different in his voice, so I sat up and looked into his golden eyes worriedly. "Edward, what's wrong?"

He looked away from me for a second, sighing. "Alice sees a few nomads passing through sometime this week," he explained, "So I will probably be a little overprotective of you until they're gone."

I frowned, "Edward, I can take care of myself. I have a shield remember," I reminded him.

"I know," he replied quietly, "But I can't help wanting to protect you Bella, it's in my nature."

I let it go for now, annoyed at his over protectiveness, but secretly happy at the same time. I knew firsthand how overprotective vampires could be- even Felix and Demetri, who I constantly beat in fights, still seemed to have an overpowering urge to protect me. I figured it was probably a vampire thing.

He left me soon after so that I could get ready, promising to meet me at school; today was the first day that I would be driving my new car to school.

I drove into the school parking lot, smoothly pulling in next to Edward's Volvo. By the time I turned my car off Edward was already opening my door for me. He helped me out before grabbing my bag and slinging it on his back. We walked hand in hand towards the rest of the Cullens, ignoring all the stares I was getting with my new car. Apparently it wasn't as inconspicuous as I'd thought.

By the time lunch came around the whole school knew I had a new car- one of the disadvantages of being in a small school where any change was big news. When Emmett joined our table he looked incredibly amused. "So I hear that you're sleeping with Edward and he bought you the car as a sort of payment Bella," Emmett chuckled. Beside me Edward growled.

"Actually," Jasper cut in, "I heard that the two of you got married, and the car was Bella's wedding gift from Edward," he mentioned.

"I like that rumour better," Edward muttered.

I grinned, "Good to know you'd prefer me to be your wife rather than your whore." Being raised by vampire,s I had adopted a lot of traditional values and beliefs, and I fully intended on marrying Edward after high school if he proposed. I was simply hoping that he had kept his 1900's views on marriage and would propose soon. Of course, if he didn't, I wasn't above adopting a few 21st century views and proposing myself. I already knew I wanted to spend eternity with him, and I didn't see any reasons why we should wait to get married- although I knew a lot of people would disapprove, or think I was pregnant.

One of the biggest things currently standing in my way was the fact that I wasn't eighteen yet- but that wouldn't be a problem in a few months. I had to admit though, that another reason I wanted to marry within the next year or two was so that I could experience my wedding as a human, and have my parents there. I wanted Charlie to be able to walk me down the aisle, and I knew that in a couple of years I would be a vampire, and it would be impossible for me to have contact with him after that. Of course, I knew my mother's views on marriage were completely different from my own. After her disastrous early marriage to Charlie, she was a great advocate for not getting married until your thirties. I was not looking forward to having to tell her I would be getting married before that- which I would if I had my way.

The conversation dwindled after that, with Edward assuring me that I should never even think about calling myself a whore.

During gym that afternoon I managed to inform Jessica that my truck had been smashed up when a tree fell onto it during the storm last week, and that I had been forced to buy a new car. I knew that as the gossip queen of the school she was bound to start spreading the news, and I hoped that the speculations would stop once people were informed of the truth.

They didn't, but over the week they did at least die down a little. At least when I called Volterra to give them an update they were sympathetic. They were also pleased with how well the Cullens had taken me revealing my gift to them. "If only other vampires would take the news like that," Marcus muttered. "Carlisle always was a compassionate, open minded man."

"Yes," Aro agreed, "I think, given how well they've handled things so far, we should start considering inviting them to Volterra soon to officially meet our princess, and explain everything to them."

"Really?" I asked hopefully, "I won't have to keep hiding it from them?"

"Yes," Caius agreed, "Maybe on your next break we could arrange something."

"Thank you guys so much." I said gratefully. I was overjoyed with the prospect of having no secrets from the Cullens.

Demetri and Felix of course, got a kick out of me throwing Emmett through a glass window. They roared with laughter, "I'll bet he was shocked," Felix said, "I remember how I felt the first time you threw me into a wall."

I snickered, "Well you shouldn't have called me cute."

"I wish we'd been there to see it though," Demetri said wistfully, "I would have loved to have seen their reactions."

I chuckled at that, before launching into a conversation with Santiago about my new car. "Nice choice Bella," he complimented me, "I've taught you well princess," he said proudly.

"Thanks Santi," I said, thankful that he couldn't see me blushing through the phone at his compliment.

One aspect of my phone call was not received as happily as the other news. When I mentioned that Alice had seen nomads passing through the area I could hear them all tense up. "Be very careful Bella," Aro warned, "Remember that your blood smells particularly sweet to vampires. In all likelihood, if they come across you they will try to eat you."

I groaned. I would have to smell tempting to vampires. "I know Uncle Aro, don't worry, I can take care of myself." I assured him.

"We didn't train you for thirteen years for nothing," Demetri stated.

Saturday morning I found myself driving to the Cullen's early. It was Alice's fault of course- she had insisted that I be there early in the morning so that she had all day to get me ready for the Spring Dance tonight- which didn't start until 6pm. Personally, I hated the primping process. I may love shopping, but I just didn't have the patience to sit still for hours on end while my hair and makeup was done. This was why I had originally planned to spend most of my morning alone with Edward, before heading over to the Cullen's house in the afternoon to get ready. Unfortunately, Alice had seen my plan and after begging, pleading and pouting at me hadn't worked, she had called Charlie. Charlie had been charmed into betraying me, and I had left the house this morning disgruntled, and muttering, "Betrayed by my own father," indignantly.

Charlie had chuckled, "Go on Bells, let Alice have her fun, and have a good time at the dance tonight." I had driven off in a huff, annoyed that Alice had foiled my plans.

The minute I stepped out of my car in front of the Cullen mansion I was engulfed in Edward's arms. I sighed happily. "Alice is setting everything up in her room and doing last minute alterations to the dresses," he informed me, "So you have a little time before she steals you away." I grinned, happy for even a few minutes less of Barbie time.

"We could just stay like this," I murmured, content in his arms.

He chuckled, "As much as I would love to, Jasper wants to play a game of Battleships with you, seeing as you were so good at Chess," he said, picking me up and cradling me in his arms as he carried me inside.

Jasper was already waiting, Battleships already set up on the table. Emmett was lounging nearby, obviously wanting to watch the game. Esme came in from the kitchen beaming. "Hi Bella," she said, rushing to hug me as soon as Edward put me down. "I baked you some cookies," she informed me, handing me a plateful of chocolate chip.

I grinned at her, "Thanks Esme, these look delicious."

She smiled at me, "You're welcome Bella. It's nice to finally use the kitchen."

I settled down in front of the table, opposite Jasper. "You're going to lose," I informed him confidently.

He grinned, "I doubt that darlin'," he drawled, his eyes taking on a competitive light.

We placed our pieces on our separate boards, staring warily at each other. Edward joined Emmett on the lounge, looking on with interest. "You can start first," I offered Jasper, "You're going to need it."

"No I won't," he said cockily, "But I was raised to never contradict a lady, so A5," he started.

"Miss," I answered, "F7," I asked.

"Miss," he cocked his eyebrow at me, "C4."

I groaned, "Hit," I muttered reluctantly. Jasper broke out in a triumphant grin. We continued playing and he quickly sunk a few of my ships. In return I found and sunk some of his. Soon both of us were down to one ship each- neither of us had found the smallest ship.

I glared at Jasper, trying to psyche him out so that I would win. He smiled at me belligerently. Both of us had used a lot of different tactics during the game, but having been informed of Jasper's empathic talent, I decided that it was time to try using it against him. I tried feeling fearful, hoping it would project onto him, but in return I felt my own fear amplify as Jasper burst out laughing, "I've got to give you credit for trying Bella, but that won't work on me," he grinned. Edward laughed quietly behind us.

I huffed angrily, my fear all gone. I grabbed a cookie off my plate and took a bite as I considered my options. I suddenly began thinking of pain. I imagined myself loosing Edward, and felt pain wash over me. In front of me Jasper winced in utter agony. "Bella, please stop, you're making me want to go jump off a cliff in despair," he pleaded.

I smirked, "I thought you said it wouldn't work," I informed him. I felt a little guilty though, so I stopped projecting pain at him. He made his move, and I hoped I had distracted him enough that he would make the wrong move. He didn't, "D4."

I cursed, "Hit," I said reluctantly.

In one more move he had won. I grinned in resignation, holding my hand out, "Well done Jazz," I said shaking his hand.

"Thank you for the game Bella," he grinned at me in triumph.

Emmett bounded off the lounge and pushed Jasper aside. "My turn," he announced, settling himself into Jasper's place and setting up his ships.

I shrugged and grinned, "If you really want to lose Emmett, be my guest."

He shook his head, "No way, I'm definitely going to beat you this time," he said adamantly.

I smirked. I figured that it was time to rack up a few more points against Emmett, and I wasn't above cheating to get them.

We started the game, and I let a shield invisibly slip over Emmett's board, feeling for the placement of his ships. "A1," I said confidently.

His self-assured grin failed. "Hit," he said grudgingly.

He missed on his go and it was my turn again. Yet again I unfailingly picked the right one. "Hit."

He chose again, "Miss."

"Hit."

"Miss."

"Hit,"

We continued with me smugly picking off every one of his battleships without fail, while Emmett continued to blindly guess where my pieces were.

I won. I smile smugly at Emmett, who looked flabbergasted and confused as he analysed the boards. Soon enough recognition dawned on his features. "You cheated!" he yelled, jumping up and pointing at me.

I just sat there staring at him with a huge grin on my face as I grabbed another cookie off my plate and chewed slowly. "Prove it," I taunted, secure in the knowledge that as I was the only one who could see my shield; there was no possible way for him to prove that I had cheated.

He frowned, speechless and annoyed. Behind him Rose laughed. "Well done Bella, it's not often someone can make Emmett speechless."

I grinned at her, getting up and stretching my legs. "Bella: 3, Emmett: 1," I declared.

Alice appeared at the top of the stairs. "Oh good, you're done. Rose, grab Bella, we've got to start getting ready." I peeked at the time as Rose picked me up. It wasn't even 10:30am yet and she wanted to start getting ready. I groaned as I was rushed up the stairs and placed in a chair situated in front of a large mirror in Alice's closet.

Rose and Alice got to work on me first, since it wouldn't take either of them half as long to get ready as it would me. We put on some music- and sang along as they did my hair and makeup before showing me the dress Alice had designed for me.

The sketches I had seen didn't do it justice. It was a deep violet coloured strapless dress that hugged my body before flaring out at my hips and reaching to my knees. It had silver beading on the bodice and the right side of the skirt, showing an intricate flower pattern. As I looked closely at the stitches I realised Alice had hand sown the beads herself. "Oh Alice it's beautiful," I gushed, "I almost don't want to wear it for fear that I'll ruin your beautiful design."

She growled at me. "No thinking like that Bella, I made it for you to wear, not look at." I nodded meekly and slipped it on. She disappeared for a second before reappearing with a pair of Rose's Jimmy Choo stilettos in the exact shade of the dress. "Here, put these on."

I strapped them onto my feet and stood up, turning to look at myself in the mirror. A dark eyed beauty looked back at me. "Wow, thanks guys, I look amazing," I said in appreciation.

They grinned, "Your welcome Bella," they said before turning to get themselves ready. I sat and watched, talking to them about Prom, which was coming up soon. Alice had already started designing our dresses for that too of course.

Eventually we were all set, except for jewellery. Alice and Rose lead me over to a chest full of antique jewellery. "Pick something to wear tonight Bella," Rose encouraged me.

I looked at them awkwardly. "Um, well I actually have my own jewellery guys. I inherited it from some rich relatives a while ago." I admitted. Their eyes widened with interest. "Edward!" I called softly, knowing he could hear me. "Could you get me the bag I left on the front seat of my car?"

There was soon a light knock on the door, and Alice floated over to answer it. She took the bag from Edward and slammed the door quickly in his face before I could catch a glimpse of him. "Uh Uh Edward," she chastised him. "I want you to get the full effect of Bella when we walk down the stairs together, not a moment sooner."

I heard him sigh softly in resignation from the other side of the door. Obviously he knew better than to cross Alice. Alice came back over, opening the small bag I had bought and pulling out the velvet jewellery cases. "So what have you got Bella?"

I opened the largest case, showing them the necklace- three strands of white gold, upon which hung a large pear shaped amethyst. Nestled intermittently along the chains were sparkling diamonds. "WOW" Alice breathed. "Esme, come look at this!" she called.

Esme was soon in the room, admiring the piece with Rose and Alice. I grabbed the next case and opened that as well, showing them a matching set of earrings; pear shaped amethysts with tiny chains hanging from them, studded with miniscule diamonds that glittered in the light. "Your jewellery is beautiful dear," Esme said, her voice awestruck.

I smiled, "Thank you Esme," I said as I revealed what was nestled in the last box. It was a delicate three chain bracelet, a miniature version of the necklace.

Once they finished admiring my jewellery- a birthday gift from Didyme when I had turned twelve, I carefully put it all on while Alice and Rose decided on what jewellery they were wearing.

Finally we were all ready, and much to my surprise, it was time to head downstairs to meet our partners.

We waited at the top of the stairs as Esme went down to prepare the guys for our entrance- Alice had insisted. When they were ready we lined up; me in the middle with Rose on my right and Alice on my left. Holding hands we descended the stairs. I knew we looked amazing. Beside me Rose was wearing a beautiful tight satin cocktail dress in ice blue. I showed off her killer body and the jewellery she was wearing, containing pale blue stones, drew attention to her graceful neck and platinum hair. Alice looked unbelievably pretty in a dress almost the complete opposite of Roses. It was pale pink, with straps and a floaty skirt that made her look like a fairy.

As we slowly made our way downstairs I looked at the three guys all waiting at the bottom, corsages in hand. All of their jaws had dropped as they each stared at their mate. My eyes locked with Edwards, and I saw the love and adoration in them as I neared him. In his suit he looked like a Greek god- my own personal Adonis.

We finally got reached our mates and let go of each other, my eyes never leaving Edward's. He picked up my hand, placing a soft kiss on it as he place the corsage just above my Volturi cuff. "You look beautiful Love," he informed me softly.

I smiled up at him, "Well you look pretty good yourself Edward."

Unbeknownst to me, Esme was flitting around snapping photos. Eventually she managed to attract our attention, and we posed for more pictures as she happily snapped away. Carlisle came to stand behind her. He smiled, "You all look stunning," he informed us. "Have fun tonight."

We thanked him and headed out. Once outside Edward lead me to his Vanquish. At my raised eyebrow he explained, "I like to take it out for special occasions." I grinned at him and got in. We followed the others in Rose's BMW to the school. The dance was being held in the gym.

When we arrived there were quite a few kids in the parking lot, and their jaws dropped when they saw Edward's car. "Well the other students have certainly noticed that the Cullen's have arrived," I commented as Edward helped me out of the car.

He grinned, "Well when you have a girlfriend as beautiful as you, it's reasonable to want to show her off." I rolled my eyes, leaning into Edward as we made our way into the gym with the rest of the Cullen family.

Alice, Rose and I stood to the side as the guys bought our tickets, checking out the brightly decorated room. Alice scrunched her nose slightly, "I could have done better," she muttered.

"Maybe you should offer to decorate for prom then," I suggested.

Her face lit up, "Oh Bella, what a wonderful idea. It will be so much fun," she gushed before lapsed into silence as she mulled over ideas for her new project.

I scanned the room for Angela, and was happy to see her chatting to Ben, who I knew she had a crush on. I also noticed that most of the guys in the room now had their eyes trained on the three of us, desire obvious in their eyes.

Edward wrapped his arms around me possessively, glaring at the boys, a silent rumble going through his chest. I leaned back into him, "I take it their thoughts aren't exactly pure?" I whispered.

"No," he answered, "Most of them are undressing you three in their minds right now." I shuddered in disgust. Turning, I pulled Edward's face down and kissed him passionately.

When I eventually broke away I looked up at Edward's amused expression. "I take it that their thoughts are a little disappointed now?" I asked.

He grinned and nodded, before leading me onto the dance floor. Most of the songs were fairly fast, but the rhythm was suitable for Latin dances. Thanks to Renata, I was well equipped, and it seemed that in the last century of his life Edward had become a fine dancer as well. Soon we were twisting elegantly around each other. The other Cullens joined us, and students automatically made room for them on the dance floor.

After I ended one dance with a move Heidi had insisted I learn, consisting of me wrapping both legs around Edward's waist as he dipped me in a slow circle, Emmett whistled at me. "Wow Bella, you've got some skills." I grinned at him and shrugged. "How can you look so smooth and sexy on the dance floor in Rose's three inch heels, and yet you manage to trip over your own feet and wear two trays of food?" he asked.

I glared at him for bringing up the incident again, then I shrugged, "I'm just talented like that I guess," I replied loftily.

Behind me Jasper chuckled, "Well may I have this dance with you then little lady?" he asked in a southern drawl.

I grinned at him, "Why of course you may kind sir," I said in my best southern belle accent as I took his hand.

Alice grabbed Edward and twirled him away from us. For the rest of the night we traded partners, and I found that for such a large vampire, Emmett was almost as graceful as Jasper and Edward on the dance floor. Somehow though, whenever slow songs were playing I always ended back in Edward's comforting arms.

Of course, the dance eventually came to an end, and we reluctantly headed home. I was somewhat relieved that by spending the whole night with wither Edward, Emmett or Jasper, I had avoided being asked to dance by Mike, Tyler Eric, or anyone else.

All in all it was an excellent night, and when Edward kissed me goodbye on my doorstep when he delivered me home, I was perfectly content and bursting with happiness. "Goodnight my love," he whispered as I let myself in.

Charlie was waiting for me inside. He cast an appraising look over me, his expression turning proud as he took it in. "You look beautiful Bells," he observed, "Did you enjoy yourself?"

I grinned, "It was great Dad." I said happily.

"That's good, Esme rang and promised me pictures." He mentioned, "You had better send some to your mum, you know she's going to want tons."

I grimaced, knowing my mother's tendency to be overexcited by the littlest things. No doubt once she saw Edward's photo she would be gushing over him and interrogating me about him every chance she got. "Yeah Dad, I'll remember to send her a few." I assured him.

We talked for a little longer before I went up to bed, perfectly satisfied with my life.


	23. Discussions

BPOV

I woke up early the next morning, still on a high from my great night. After saying goodbye to Edward I turned on my laptop and checked my emails. Sure enough, there was an email from Esme containing all of the photos she had taken. I sent copies to Renee and Volterra before calling Volterra to talk, knowing that all of the females had been waiting anxiously for a play-by-play of my night.

They answered excitedly. "Did you get my pictures?" I asked teasingly.

"We're looking at them right now." Jane informed me.

"You look beautiful, and I love the dress," Sulpicia said appraisingly.

"Wow Bella, you really know how to pick them. Your mate is gorgeous," Heidi said.

"Don't get any ideas," I warned, "He's mine."

They all laughed, before we settled down and I described yesterday for them in great detail. Renata was especially interested in the dancing, and I told her I would try to find any photos of us that the school photographer had taken that night of people on the dance floor.

When I eventually hung up I lay back in my bed happily relieving my night. I was broken from my trance a few minutes later by my phone ringing. I looked at the caller id. It was Renee. "Hey mum," I answered.

"Bella! Honey I just got your email. Why didn't you tell me your boyfriend was so handsome? You have to bring him to see me soon." She said in a rush, her voice excited.

"Um, sure mum, I'll think about it." I said, suddenly wondering whether Edward and I should pay her a visit.

She didn't give me more time to talk as she started gushing about how gorgeous I looked and how pretty my dress was. I listened attentively to all she had to say before changing the subject. "So what have you and Phil been up to mum?"

She happily began filling me in. "Oh Bella we've been having such a great time travelling around and seeing so many different things. At the moment we're in Los Angeles Bella! It's so exciting, and next week we're going to Florida. Just think of all the sunshine I'll be getting!"

I was so happy that she was enjoying herself so much. "That's great mum. You know you're gonna have to take lots of photos to send me right?"

She promised, and then she had to go- Phil was calling for her.

I headed downstairs for breakfast feeling euphoric- my life currently felt like I had the best of both the vampire and human worlds rolled into one. Charlie had left a note on the table saying he had gone out for the day, so I quickly ate my cereal and headed over to the Cullen house.

When I got there I walked in to find Edward softly playing his piano. He stopped to give me a kiss, before I urged him to play for me. He pulled me down beside him on the bench, and I watched entranced as he ran his fingers nimbly over the keys, producing a rich and beautiful melody. My jaw dropped and when he finally finished I whispered, "That's beautiful Edward."

He smiled softly at me, "That is Esme's favourite." He turned back to the piano and began playing a different song. It was a soft, beautiful lullaby with incredibly sweet notes. By the time it ended I had tears running down my face. Edward turned to me. "You inspired that one," he said softly.

I smiled at him through my tears. "I love you," I said simply. There were no other words necessary.

The tender look on Edward's face as he softly brushed away my tears swelled my heart and I smiled at him. Eventually, I got up, and moved to my harp. I settled and softly began plucking an accompaniment for Esme's favourite. Picking up on it, Edward began playing again and the sounds of the piano and harp merged into a symphony of beautiful notes. I closed my eyes, loosing myself in the music.

The song eventually came to an end, and when I opened my eyes I found that the rest of the family was now lined up in front of us, huge smiles on their faces and awe in their eyes. Esme looked like she would be crying if it were possible. "Oh that was just beautiful," she gushed, beaming her appreciation. I smiled at her before turning and staring the first few notes of Clair de Lune. Edward joined in and we moved though a variety of songs together, always in harmony with each other.

Eventually we finished playing, and everyone left to their own parts of the house. Edward led me upstairs to his room where we listened to Edward's extensive music collection while lying together on his couch. "So what did Carlisle do for the two hundred or so years before he changed you?" I asked, trying to fill in some of the gaps that I didn't know in the Cullen history.

He sighed and then pulled me up off the couch. Holding my hand he led me into Carlisle's study, turning me so that I was facing a wall of paintings. Carlisle smiled from his desk. "Hello Bella, I see Edward is showing you the paintings depicting my life."

I smiled at him, "I hope you don't me asking." I said apologetically.

He shook his head, "Not at all. In fact if I didn't have to rush to the hospital right now for an emergency consult I would have been happy to tell you myself," he assured me. He made his way out of his office.

I turned to Edward expectantly. He smiled and then pointed out one of the pictures. "London in the sixteen fifties," he informed me, "When Carlisle was born."

I listened quietly as Edward explained how Carlisle had been changed while hunting down vampires for his father- a priest. I was impressed when I heard that Carlisle had resisted humans for such a long time before one day hunger took over when a herd of deer passed him in the forest and he had drained the animal. It was from this that he realised he didn't have to survive off human blood.

I continued listening as Edward moved through the pictures, telling me of how Carlisle had swum to France before travelling around Europe. He stopped when he reached a painting of something that I recognised. My fingers unconsciously traced over the picture- a painting of a balcony in Volterra- one that I had been standing on less than a year ago. On the balcony were the recognisable figures of my uncles Aro, Marcus and Caius, along with Carlisle. Although I knew this painting was over a hundred years old, the four inhuman subjects still looked exactly the same today.

Edward noticed me tracing my fingers over it, "When Carlisle was in Italy he ran into the Volturi."

My ears pricked up with interest. I was eager to hear his opinions of my family. "The Volturi?" I asked.

"They are like the royal family of the vampire world," he explained, "They make sure that vampires obey the rules so that our existence remains a secret."

"What are the rules?" I asked, although as the princess I was well aware of exactly what the rules were.

"Well there's really only one major rule," he paused and I raised my eyebrows, waiting for him to continue, "We must not let anyone know of our existence." He explained reluctantly.

"So your whole family is breaking the rules?" I asked making sure I had the appropriate amount of concern in my voice.

He sighed, "Yes," he admitted, "But we don't care Bella, you are important to us," he hurriedly tried to reassure me.

"But what will they do if they find out?" I asked, secure in the knowledge that we certainly weren't going to do anything.

"They'll kill you, and possible kill all of us too." At my horrified look he quickly added, "But they won't find out Bella, I promise."

I looked at him sceptically, before deciding that now would be a good time to see how he would react to the idea of me as a vampire. "What if you changed me?" I asked tentatively, "Then they wouldn't have any reason to hurt you."

His eyes turned dangerous. "Absolutely not," he spat out angrily.

I was miffed, "Why not?" I demanded, "Are you planning on me being human for the rest of my life, aging every day while you remain forever seventeen?" I sneered.

"That's exactly what's going to happen." He said, determination in his voice.

"What happens when I'm sixty and you still look seventeen?" I asked, shuddering at the thought, even though I knew it was never going to happen.

"I will still love you no matter how old you look Bella," he assured me.

While I was slightly warmed by that, I was still annoyed. "Well what about when I die from old age?" I asked. "You are going to have to spend the rest of eternity without me." I pointed out.

He shook his head, "Bella I would follow you soon after- I couldn't live without you." He whispered.

I slapped him hard with a shield covered hand. "You selfish bastard!" I yelled, "Did you even think about how that would affect the rest of your family? Do you think I would want you to die with me?"

His eyes turned sad, "I can't live in a world where you don't exist." He said softly.

"How were you even planning on dying anyway Edward? There is no way your family would help you." I pointed out.

He shrugged. "I thought about going to the Volturi and doing something to antagonise them." He confessed. "You don't antagonise the Volturi unless you want to die." He explained.

I glared at him, there was no way my family would ever kill him- I'd make sure of it. "You wouldn't even have to think about these contingency plans if you would just agree to change me." I pointed out.

"You don't know what you're asking for." He argued, "You only see the good parts of being a vampire. You haven't seen the unstoppable thirst we suffer from, or the animalistic urges we have to suppress. You don't see the soulless monsters we are."

I was beyond mad now. I knew exactly what being a vampire was like- I hadn't lived with them for thirteen years without knowing everything there was to know about them- in fact I probably knew more about them then Edward did. Mentally restraining myself from throwing Edward through the house in rage, I slowly said through gritted teeth, "You are NOT a monster Edward, and neither is your family." He seemed to sense from how quiet I was that I was incredibly angry. "Don't ever say that again."

"But I am," he argued, "About seventy years ago I went off on my own and killed people Bella."

I had to admit I was a little surprised, but it still didn't bother me, "Were they good people Edward?" I asked, knowing that with his talent he would have picked people that deserved to die, "Or did they deserve death?"

"I thought they did," he admitted, "But that doesn't change the fact that I murdered them," he pointed out.

I shrugged, "They deserved to die Edward, and you were just doing the world a favour. In fact, technically you probably saved lives. Every time you killed a bad guy you saved his next victim." I pointed out.

He did not look impressed with my logic, "Even if that's true- and I'm not convinced that it is, it doesn't change the fact that I'm soulless. I won't take away your soul Bella." He said.

"What makes you so sure that you don't have a soul Edward? Do you think that all vampires have no souls?" I asked. At his nod I frowned, "So you're sure that because you're a vampire- a creature made for killing humans, that you have no soul?"

He didn't say anything, and I got annoyed, "What about Esme? Or Carlisle?" I demanded. "Are you trying to tell me that two such sweet, compassionate people have no soul?"

He looked stumped at that. I decided that it was time to leave it there and let him mull over it. He was going to have to get used to the idea of me becoming a vampire since, like it or not, I was becoming one in around a year.

"So tell me why the Volturi is so powerful." I demanded, changing the subject.

He sighed, "They have many gifted vampires in their group. Among the top twelve is a tracker, a person who can see every thought you've ever had just by touching you, a person who can see bonds between people, a shield, and a pair of twins who are perhaps the most scary of them all. Jane has the ability to make you believe you are in incredible pain- so much so that you die. Her twin Alec has the opposite- he cuts off any feeling you have- sort of like anesthetising you so that you can't move. The leaders are the three in the painting with Carlisle; Aro, Marcus and Caius."

I was surprised by how solemn and fearful Edward sounded of my family- I'd had no idea of just how scared of my family other vampires were. "As well as the main twelve, they have other Volturi guards situated around the world to stop any vampires who may endanger our secret. The main twelve almost never leave Volterra."

He stopped for a bit before he seemed to remember something, "Well I guess it's really thirteen now- a few years ago they appointed a Volturi princess."

"Really?" I asked, incredibly interested in what he'd heard about me.

He nodded, "Nobody has met her except the main twelve, but apparently she is incredibly powerful- it is said that if she wanted to she could take down a whole army of vampires without lifting a finger- nobody knows what her gift is though."

I smothered a secret grin at that, "Don't worry, I'm sure that if you were ever to meet her you'd dazzle her with your good looks and she'd fall in love with you." I assured him. He rolled his eyes at me in disbelief. I chuckled softly. I knew for a fact that the princess was most definitely in love with him.

"In any case," he continued, "They stop vampires who aren't careful with their feeding habits- making humans suspicious, and stop newborn wars."

I was interested in his casual reference to newborn wars, and I wondered how much he knew about them- I'd learnt about them when I was ten, and had firsthand accounts from Felix, Demetri, Santiago, Jane, Alec and Renata- who had been responsible for killing numerous newborns and stopping the newborn wars in their tracks. "Newborn wars?" I probed Edward gently.

He nodded, "In the South there are vampires who fight over feeding territory," he explained, "They found that they could create lots of newborn vampires to fight their battles for them. Newborns are very volatile- so it's easy to convince them to fight, and they are stronger than normal vampires, making them ideal for pitting against each other. Of course armies of newborn vampires have almost non-existent self-control, so it soon became necessary for the Volturi to step in and destroy them before the humans got suspicious as to the large amounts of deaths in the area." He explained. From the look on his face, he was trying to scare me with his talk of newborns- but I hadn't even been scared when I was ten, so he didn't have much of a chance now.

He continued telling me about Jasper's heavy involvement in one of the more recent newborn wars, and I gathered from his tone that Jasper had a healthy respect for my Volturi family. I just hoped that they wouldn't react badly when I finally revealed who I was.

Edward had finished and we were making our way out of Carlisle's office when we were accosted by an excited Alice, dragging Jasper. Emmett was behind them. "There's going to be a thunderstorm tonight," Alice clapped excitedly. I grinned, I knew that that meant they could play a game and mask any abnormally loud noises made by them. I wondered for a moment what they were planning on playing- my Volturi family had liked baseball, football, soccer and rugby. I had played all of them with my family many times- they always claimed that I cheated because I had an extreme advantage with my shield- but Renata used hers as well, so as long as we were on separate teams it usually worked out fairly evenly.

"Baseball!" Emmett boomed excitedly.

My smile grew larger, "Awesome," I enthused. They all turned to look at me, confusion in their eyes. "What?" I asked self-consciously, "I can't wait to play a good game of baseball."

Emmett broke the silence, "Bella, not to burst your bubble, but we're vampires- we don't play baseball the normal way."

I rolled my eyes, "I kinda figured that out Emmett, but in case you've forgotten, I have my own gift, remember? Trust me, I will have no trouble beating you."

He looked at me disbelieving, "Bella you couldn't even go two steps at your speed before we'd have the ball and you'd be out.

I simply smirked in response, "Like I said Emmett, don't worry about me."

We continued bickering as we waited for Carlisle to get back from the hospital so that we could go to their playing field- apparently it was deep in the lap of the Olympic peaks.


	24. Baseball

BPOV

We waited impatiently until Carlisle finally came back from the hospital just after midday. We were sitting in the lounge room- where I was comfortably settled on Edward's lap, his arms wrapped securely around me as we all tried to watch the movie showing. When Carlisle finally walked in we all jumped up excitedly. He took one look at our exited faces, and the bat and ball Emmett was holding and grinned. "I'll go get changed and then we can head out," he said before dashing upstairs.

In no time at all Carlisle was back downstairs, ready to go. I jumped on Edward's back, securing myself for the ride. Emmet watched me, amused, "Aw little Bella's getting a piggy back ride," he cooed.

I snarled menacingly at me and the family burst out laughing. Alice looked at how comfortable I appeared to be on Edwards back and smiled, "Good idea Bella," she exclaimed, jumping up onto Jasper's back, "This is way better than running." I grinned at her.

It was raining as we headed out, the whole family running together as the forest whipped by us in a blur. When we reached our destination I was impressed. Their playing field was an enormous clearing the size of ten football fields. Alice and I quickly got off our mates backs as Emmett ran to set up the field. The bases were about 200m apart- and I was glad that I was fit because I was planning on getting quite a few home runs. Out here there was no rain- although the thunder and lightning still roared overhead.

I decided that I should hurry up and claim my team before Emmett stole the ones I wanted. "Edward, Esme and Rosalie are on my team," I called.

Emmett spun around in surprise, "How come you got to pick your team?" he complained.

I smiled sweetly, "Because it's my first time playing with you guys. Besides, we're fairly even- you have two gifted people on your team, I have two gifted people on mine." I explained.

He frowned, though it over, then ran an appraising eye over my team. He shrugged, "You're never going to win with that team Bella; Esme hardly ever plays, and the only good player on your team is Edward. All the good players are on my team," he boasted.

Rosalie glared, "What are you implying Emmett?" she demanded.

He gulped, "You're a good player too," he protested weakly, cowering under her gaze, "I didn't mean it," he pleaded.

She just turned and stalked off to the home plate while Emmett stared dumbly after her. I snickered, "You are going down Emmett." Before following Rosalie, "Oh and we're batting first," I called. He just grunted in acknowledgement.

Finally the game got underway, with Rosalie batting first. Alice stood the pitcher's mound, deceptively still, but like the strike of a cobra her hand slapped out and Rose swung the bat. It hit the ball with a resonating crack- which merged perfectly with the thunder currently roaring in the background. Rose raced off as the ball flew into the forest- Jasper chasing after it. She made it to first base and stayed there as Jasper came back with the ball. Edward went next and hit the ball hard and low to the ground. Using his incredible speed he was soon standing on the second base, while Rosalie was on the third. I let Esme go before me, and despite Emmett's claim that Esme wasn't very good- something he probably thought due to the fact that she wasn't an aggressive player, I found that she was really quite skilful. She hit the ball low to the ground similar to Edward, only with less strength it didn't go as far, and she only made it to first base.

Rosalie was home, and Edward was on third when I stepped confidently up to the plate, my shield wrapped around me. Emmett ran up to Alice and said something to her. She heaved a sigh and handed him the ball before sitting down in the middle of the field- obviously she knew what was going to happen next. With the exception of Edward- who had seen what Alice knew, the others were all giving Alice curious glances.

I confidently gave the bat an experimental twirl before facing Emmett, "Bring it on Emmett," I taunted. He grinned before throwing the ball in a soft underhand arc towards me. I looked at it disdainfully and let it pass. "Come on Emmett! I know you can throw better than that," I commented scornfully, "That's just insulting, gave me a real throw!" I demanded.

He didn't, sending me another soft throw. I sighed and I hit it hard, aiming it high into the air. I heard Emmett's shout of glee as he intended to catch it and make me out, but I slowly dropped my bat and headed at a sedate walk towards the first base. I sent out a shield to catch the ball and spin it teasingly over Emmett's head, just out of jumping reach. I continued smugly on my sedate walk around the bases as Edward and Esme made it to the home plate. I shot an amused look at Emmett, who had given up trying to jump for the ball, and was now staring at me, sulking. "That's not fair Bella," he complained.

I smiled sweetly, "Yes it is Emmet, I'm just making up for the fact that I can't run as fast as you. Besides, you didn't mention that I couldn't use my shield."

He glowered and turned to Esme, "Mum, Bella's cheating," hew whined. Everyone burst into laughter at that.

"What are you, seven Emmett?" I asked, "Are you telling on me?" I choked out.

Rosalie rolled her eyes at him, "Grow up Emmett," she scolded.

By this time I'd finally made it back to the home plate before dropping the ball. "Home Run BABY!" I yelled excitedly, "In your face Emmett!" I grabbed Edward and leapt into his arms for a passionate kiss in celebration.

"PDA!" Emmett yelled.

Edward broke our kiss and glared at him, "Like you can talk Emmett," he scoffed.

Emmett thought about that for a second before he grinned sheepishly. "Right, sorry, carry on," this brought on another round of laughter, and even Emmett joined in this time.

"Little Sis, we're so glad you're a part of the family," he proclaimed, "Everything's so much more fun now."

I smiled, "Thanks Emmett."

We continued playing- I continued to get home runs on my turns, but eventually we had three outs and we changed places. I stood at the first base, while Esme pitched and Rose and Edward meandered in the field.

Emmett stepped up to the plate, buoyant and self-assured. Apparently he was sure he could hit it hard enough to get himself a home run. I was sure I could stop that from happening. Before Esme threw the ball I wrapped a shield around it, but allowed it to be thrown through the air as usual. Emmett swung the bat and it connected with the ball; a sickening crack resonating. As Emmett took off running towards me I tightened my shield around the ball, stopping it midair and bringing it straight to my hand. It hit my hand just before Emmett reached me. He was running so hard that he ran into me and fell back as my shield anchored me to the spot.

I snickered at him, "What was it you were saying before we came Emmett? Something about me not being able to make it to first base? It seems you have more of a problem trying to reach it than I do." Emmett looked at the ball in my hand, then at the ground, finally taking in the fact that he hadn't managed to reach first base. His jaw dropped. He turned, "Mum, she cheated again!" he complained loudly.

Everyone snickered at him as Esme commented, "Emmett dear, don't blame poor Bella for the fact that you didn't make it. There's a first time for everything."

He stalked off back to the home plate muttering, "Poor Bella, hmph."

I allowed the others to bat and run without my interference- letting Rose and Edward catch the balls and try to tag people. When it was Emmett's turn again I perked up, and saw Alice look slyly in my direction and give me a thumbs up, even though she was on the opposing team. Apparently the whole family liked to make fun of Emmett- I suspected that it was probably revenge for a few pranks he had no doubt pulled on them over the years. As he gave the bat an experimental swing he glared at me warningly, "No cheating this time Bella," he called.

I simply smiled angelically at him, "No promises Emmett." I yelled back.

When Esme threw the ball to him he swung, but at the last minute I used a shield to tip the ball so slightly that not even a vampire would notice that the ball had changed trajectory. It was a small enough bump though that the ball flew just under Emmett's bat as he swung. When Emmett realised that he had not hit the ball he looked stunned. "Come on Emmett, can't you hit the ball?" I taunted. His eyes narrowed into determination and he took his stance again, nodding to Esme. She threw again, and again I tipped the ball so that Emmett would just miss. "Good try Emmett, I'm sure if you work on your hand-eye coordination for the next, oh-say fifty years, you might actually manage to hit the ball." I choked with laughter and could see that the others were trying to stifle their giggles too.

I could see from Emmett's face that he still hadn't realised that I had anything to do with it. I figured it was time to take some credit. When the next ball was thrown I pulled it up and hung it in the air in front of his face as he swung. He stopped and looked at the ball levitating in his face. His gaze swung furiously to me and he stalked over. "Cheat one more time Bella and you won't like the consequences," he threatened, "I can be very very vengeful if I want to- how would you like your Maserati to have pink polka dots all over it?"

I cocked an eyebrow at him, "About as well as you'd like your Jeep crushed into a cube of scrap metal," I said sweetly- the warning in my voice unmistakable. Nobody touched my cars and survived. Emmett huffed and stalked off.

We continued playing again, everyone having a good time, until suddenly Alice froze, her eyes taking on a glassy look as she had a vision. Edward whipped around to look at her, his eyes widening and becoming fearful as he took in whatever Alice's vision was. Suddenly Alice and Edward were beside me, the rest of the family rushing over, noticing the panicked looks on their faces. "What's going on?" I asked warily.

"The nomads," Alice whispered, "They were leaving and they heard our game. They're coming towards us- they want to play." She looked scared. My heart dropped at the thought. No doubt these nomads would in all likelihood try to hunt me- or at least be far too curious about why I was with the Cullens. I had a bad feeling that this was not going to end well.

Carlisle turned to Edward, "Do you have enough time to run her away from here?"

Edward shook his head, "No, and even if I did, the last thing we want is for them to catch her scent and start hunting her."

Emmett looked unperturbed, "How many are there?" he asked.

"Three," Edward answered shortly.

"Three?" Emmett scoffed, "Let them come," he stated, flexing his enormous muscles. If the situation had been any less serious I would have rolled my eyes at Emmett's obvious enthusiasm for a fight.

"Are they hungry?" Esme asked worriedly. Edward shook his head no, but he didn't look comforted by it- I wasn't either.

As we chatted Edward warned us that they were nearly there. We moved back to our positions, pretending that we were oblivious to their arrival until they stepped out of the forest.

As Edward had said, there were three of them- two males and a female. All of them had rough, unkept clothes and rugged appearances- a stark contrast to the civilised Cullens and Volturi. I hadn't seen many nomads over the years. Instinctively I shielded my family and sent out a second shield to lightly touch all three of them so that I would be able to recognise them in the future.

The male in the lead had dark hair and bright ruby eyes. He was a standard build- certainly nothing compared to Emmet, or Felix and Demetri. The other male was built slightly stronger, but more wiry. He had long blonde hair and a sinister smile on his face. As I observed him closer I realised from his stance that he was actually the leader of this coven- he was just using the other male as a decoy. I paid closer attention to him.

The female was obviously the leader's mate- she kept stealing subtle glances at him and it was obvious from her body language. She had a mane of fiery red hair, her eyes wary as she examined us.

We had all converged into a line facing them as they approached cautiously. Seeing Carlisle's friendly expression they relaxed a little as they drew to a stop. "Hello," Carlisle greeted them.

The dark haired one pretending to be the leader spoke up, while I kept a wary eye on the blonde vampire- my senses telling me he was dangerous. "Hello, I am Laurent and this is James and Victoria," he said, pointing out his companions.

"I'm Carlisle and this is my family; Esme, Alice, Jasper, Bella, Emmett, Rosalie and Edward." He said casually, making sure that he didn't draw any special attention to me.

"We were passing through and heard your game," Laurent explained, "We wanted to know whether we could play with you."

Carlisle smiled, not showing an ounce of uneasiness, "Certainly, a few of our players were just leaving anyway. You can take their places." He threw them the ball, "Edward, Bella, Emmet, you guys can head back now." He reminded us.

Edward nodded and grabbed my hand. Just as we were about to turn around the wind changed directing, blowing my scent right at the three non-vegetarian vampires. They caught my scent and froze, James getting into a crouch and looking like he was about to pounce.

Edward immediately crouched in front of me, snarling- an automatic reaction to someone threatening his mate. Laurent placed a warning hand on James' shoulder and he straightened up. "You brought a snack?" Laurent asked incredulously.

The whole family stiffened, "She's not a snack," Rosalie snarled, and I mentally reminded myself to get her a big thank you present- perhaps some jewellery.

"She's part of our family," Carlisle stated firmly, disapproval in his tone.

"How can you be so close to a human?" Laurent asked.

"We keep a permanent residence nearby and we're in constant contact with them." Carlisle stated.

Their eyes widened in shock, "How do you do that without the humans becoming suspicious?" Laurent enquired with interest in his eyes.

"We hunt animals, not humans," Carlisle explained, "There's another coven up in Denali, Alaska that also has out feeding habits."

They looked shocked, "Really? It's actually possible to live completely off animal blood?" Laurent asked.

"Yes," Carlisle confirmed, "I have done so my entire life. If you are interested in knowing more perhaps you could come to our house and talk." He offered.

I looked over at James, my sixth sense telling me that I was still in a lot of danger from him. Then I saw a look in his eyes that I immediately recognised. It was the look of a tracker who had just decided on his next target. I was that target. It was a look I had seen many times on Demetri when we used to play hide-and-seek. Of course Demetri had an extra gift which allowed his tracking to be pretty much infallible with everyone except me. He caught the tenor of a person's mind and tracked that. However, his gift didn't work on me with my mental shield, so he tracked me the old-fashioned way- by scent, traps and deception. Over time Demetri had used almost every trick of the trade in finding me- although I often teamed up with Felix and shielded his mind as he carried me places- it was harder to get caught with Felix running us to hiding places.

I knew for a fact that once a tracker had a new target they would do anything to get them- the chase was what they lived for- and now it seemed that James wanted me to be his next meal. I contemplated killing him now- knowing that if I didn't he would inevitably try to get to me later. I certainly didn't want to lead him back to my dad, and yet I didn't really want to kill them all in front of the Cullens- especially when I couldn't explain properly to them why I wanted to kill him since I couldn't tell them about Demetri.

As I was contemplating whether to kill him now, and considering whether I would have to kill the others as well, I saw his eyes flicker over the rest of the Cullens before his gaze settled for a second on Alice. I saw a flicker of recognition in his eyes. I was surprised; I knew Alice didn't remember anything from her life before she woke up as a vampire, and she obviously hadn't recognised James. This led me to conclude that James had known Alice before she became a vampire.

That knowledge decided me. I couldn't kill James yet. I knew Alice desperately wished she knew why she couldn't remember her human life, and if James knew something I couldn't kill him until I found out what it was.

I was brought out of my thoughts by Carlisle, "I'm sorry, but given the circumstances, I think it would be best if you leave," he stated politely, but firmly.

Laurent nodded, "I'm sorry for the disturbance," he apologised before turning. "Come on James," he called.

We watched in silence as they all headed back into the forest. Just before he entered James turned to face me, and even at the large distance I could tell from the look on his face that this was anything but over.


	25. Hunting

BPOV

Once the nomads were out of range of Edward's mind-reading Edward hurriedly slung me on is back and the whole family raced home. The run was different from how we were on the way to the playing field only a few hours ago. Gone was the carefree chatter, the taunting and the jokes. Instead, the air was now filled with a palpable amount of tension. "What are we going to do?" Alice whispered.

"He's a tracker," Edward said, his voice had an underlying tone of panic in it, "I saw it in his mind. He wants Bella, and my reaction to him only made him want her more." His words confirmed what I had already known- James wouldn't give up until he found me.

I noticed Jasper had remained quiet, and was looking thoughtful. I could practically see his mind running over the best possible strategies. "Well we could always turn around and hunt him," I suggested. I always figured that the best defence was a good offense.

Only Emmett approved of my plan. "I'm in," he said, actual enthusiasm in his voice.

"No," Edward said firmly, "He would only lead us into a trap."

I sighed, "Either way, I can't go home until I know he's not tracking me anymore. I don't want to lead him to Charlie," I explained.

The others agreed. "Alice, can you call him and make up some story about a big sale in Seattle that you just have to drag Rose and I to, and tell him we'll be staying there for the night since it's a public holiday tomorrow?" I asked. "That should at least buy us some more time, and we can always come up with another excuse later if we need to extend our stay."

Alice nodded, and as soon as we reached the house she pulled out her phone and rang my house. "Hi Charlie," she said, her voice full of excitement, "Guess what? There's a big sale happening in Seattle, and I just have to go. Do you mind me stealing Bella- it's a school holiday tomorrow remember, and I'm going to need all of that time to shop properly," she paused for a bit, listening to his answer, "Oh we'll be fine Charlie- don't worry, it's just us girls," she reassured him. No doubt he was worried about me spending so much time with Edward unchaperoned. Suddenly she screeched, "Oh thank you Charlie!" before ending the call. She turned to me, "All done Bella, Charlie says to have fun."

I smiled gratefully, "Thanks Alice."

The whole family congregated in the lounge room. Edward wouldn't leave my side. Jasper cleared his throat. "I think the best way to approach this is to split up. "Alice and I will take Bella away, while the rest of you lay a false trail for him to follow and hope that he either gives up once it reaches a dead end, or that you can catch him and kill him. I think Esme and Rosalie should then go and watch over Charlie- just in case one of the vampires tries to get to him if the smell Bella's scent in the area." He continued to explain his plan- and I had to admit that it was a good strategy. I knew a false trail wouldn't fool a tracker of James' calibre for long, and I was grateful for it. I wanted him to come after me so that I would have a chance to get whatever information he knew about Alice out of him.

"I think it would be best to go to Phoenix," I announced. "It's sunny there nearly all the time, so while Alice and Jasper would have to stay inside- at least if he found me it would limit his activities to night time." I explained part of my reasoning. The other reason I had- which I couldn't tell them was that it was likely that James would managed to get hold of some of my personal information, and he would know I was from Phoenix. Demetri had explained to me that most beings tracked by trackers, especially humans, tended to go somewhere where they felt safe, comforted and at home. My records showed that I had lived in Phoenix for a long time, and I knew that that would be the first place James would look for me. I would be waiting.

Edward of course protested violently when he heard the part of the plan where he wouldn't be going with me, and I was also pained at the thought. But once Jasper explained his reasoning, I couldn't fault it, "Edward, James knows you would never leave Bella. We need you to help lay the false trail otherwise it will never work." Edward thought about it and gave in, giving Jasper a reluctant nod.

Jasper was cut off from explaining the finer details of the plan by Edward's menacing snarl. When we looked at him questioningly he explained, "Laurent's here."

Sure enough there was soon a knock on the door. Carlisle let Laurent in, and whatever was on his mind caused Edward to relax slightly. "I've only come to warn you," he explained, "I don't approve of what James is doing, and I've left his coven. I intend to go up to Denali and find out more about your way of life from the other coven. But before I go I thought it was only fair to give you a warning." He said, "James is absolutely lethal, his senses are unparalleled and he has never failed at a hunt since I've been in his coven. I only joined it because of how strong he is." His revelation that James was actually the leader of the coven surprised everyone but Edward, Jasper and I- I wasn't surprised that Jasper had also noticed the real hierarchy.

Laurent left soon after, with Carlisle giving him directions on how to find the other coven. We decided that it was time to leave. Alice ran me upstairs and into Rosalie's room, where I switched clothes with her so that Rosalie could lay a false trail with my scent. They carried me back down stairs and into the garage- where the others were already waiting. Alice tensed suddenly, and then turned to us. "They're watching us," she told us, "They're waiting for our next move." It was time to set our plan into action.

Edward gave me a kiss goodbye. It was different, desperate somehow, and I poured all of my passion and love into it- realising that I had no idea how long I would have to be away from Edward. It pained me to see him go somewhere without me.

Rosalie, Emmett, Edward, Carlisle and Esme jumped into the Jeep, while Jasper, Alice and I got into Carlisle's Mercedes as it was the only car in the garage that didn't have my scent in it. Besides, the dark tint on the windows was bound to be useful in sunny Phoenix. We waited silently as the Jeep roared out of the garage and sped away into the night. Alice closed her eyes for a second before opening them and smiling. "They're following the Jeep," she confirmed. "We can leave."

Jasper immediately started the car and pulled out. I took one last look back at the now empty house as we raced away. I lay down on the backseat, stretching myself out for the long ride ahead. It was only four o'clock on the afternoon, but I knew that I would need as much sleep as I could get for the coming days. Making sure that my shields were secure around all three of us, I relaxed and concentrated on falling asleep.

Ten minutes later I still couldn't sleep. I tossed for a bit, trying to get comfortable before I finally gave up. I sighed, thinking. I knew from experience that meditating and counting sheep weren't going to work. Then I remembered something. "Hey Jasper?" I asked, my voice breaking into the comfortable silence.

"Yes Bella?" he asked quietly.

"Do you think you could help me get some sleep here?" I begged.

He chuckled, although it was more strained than usual, "Sure Bella."

In no time at all a heavy wave of drowsiness overtook me. I barely managed to get out a "Thanks Jazz," before sleep completely overtook me.

I awoke to the sensation of being shaken so quickly I felt like I was vibrating. I opened my eyes to see Alice staring down at me, a tender look in her eyes as she released my shoulder. "Come on Bella, we're here, it's time to go up to our suite," she explained. I stretched out drowsily and yawned before getting out of the car and trudging along after Jasper. Alice walked beside me, making sure I didn't trip over anything in my sleepy state. I managed to get my bearings as Jasper talked to the receptionist, and I realised that we were at one of the fancier hotels close to the Phoenix Airport. I spotted the clock on the wall and realised with a start that it was 3am. Thanks to Jasper's influence I had been asleep for nearly eleven hours.

Even though it was three in the morning, after Jasper used his charm, and a large amount of cash the receptionist was only too happy to give us the keys to the hotel's best suite. She seemed a little surprised though when she saw that we had no luggage with us.

As soon as we got to the suite Alice pulled out her phone and rang Edward, letting him know that we had arrived, and asking for an update. He told us that James and Victoria had split up. Esme and Rosalie had gone back to Forks in case Victoria went for Charlie, and James was still tracking them- but always remained just outside Edward's mind-reading range. I was glad to hear that they were all okay, although I did feel slightly guilty for making them go out of their way like this- especially for me.

Jasper picked up on my guilt. "Bella, please don't feel guilty," he pleaded.

I looked at him apologetically, "How can I not Jasper? Your whole family has to go out of its way and risk getting hurt because of me."

He looked at me sternly, "Bella, out family is strong and our only fear is losing you. You have changed Edward so much since he met you. He used to be a morose, brooding vampire, all alone and barely existing. Now he has you and for the first time in almost one hundred years he's happy. Our whole family loves you, and none of us want to even think about what would happen if we lost you- I doubt Edward would have the will to survive," he explained softly.

That thought pained me, but I was grateful for Jasper's explanation. I smiled up at him, "Thanks Jasper."

The next few hours passed slowly as we sat together and watched the early morning TV shows, bored and with nothing to do but wait. When 6:30am came I ordered some breakfast from room service and tucked in. I had barely finished when Alice had a vision. James had changed his course and Alice saw him in a room full of mirrors. We were all confused when Alice described it, so she drew it for us.

I was shocked when I realised that I recognised it. Jasper felt my recognition. "Do you know where this is Bella?" he asked.

I nodded, "It's the old ballet studio I went to once," I explained. When I was ten Renee had signed me up for ballet lessons for the six months I was with her. Of course I was hopeless at it due to my clumsiness, and I didn't like the other girls and their vain mothers.

Jasper looked concerned, "Where is it Bella?"

"Just a block away from Renee's house here in Phoenix," I told him, giving him the address.

Our conversation was stopped by Alice's phone ringing. When she answered I could hear Edward on the other end. Alice relayed their news; they were in Alaska had lost James, and were worried that he might be heading here so they were already at the airport waiting for the next plane to Phoenix. I was glad- despite being away from Edward for less than a day, I missed him terribly- it felt like my heart had been ripped away from me.

Luckily, it was a finally cloudy day- a rarity in sunny Phoenix, and by the time my lunch arrived from room service, Alice had seen us picking up Edward, Carlisle and Emmett at the airport in two hours. She left to go and buy us all a change of clothes- since we hadn't bought anything with us, and Jasper headed down to the reception area to book another suite for them to stay in.

While I was enjoying my lunch in my room I was surprised to see my phone ringing, and even more shocked when I looked at the caller ID and found that the number was for Renee's house in Phoenix- I knew for a fact that my mother was still in LA, since I had talked to her yesterday. Therefore, the only person it could be was James. I grinned victoriously; I'd be able to put an end to his hunt faster than I'd thought. "Hello?" I answered my phone.

In the background I heard my mother's voice sobbing and calling my name. For a second my heart rate picked up as I panicked. What if he really did have my mother? Then I concentrated on what I was hearing and realised that I recognised the dialogue. It was a videotape of Renee and I one day in Volterra, on St. Marcus day, and she had lost me in the town square and panicked, she still had the camera on while she was historically calling, "Bella! Bella!" Felix and Demetri had of course brought me back to her.

Evidently James had raided our home videos. It was time for me to play along: "Mum, Mum? Where are you? Are you alright?" I asked, my voice panicky and worried.

Sure enough, the next voice I heard was that of a cold-hearted killer (Literally). "Your mother is just fine Bella," James assured me, then he hesitated, "For the moment. Be vary careful about what you say Bella, in fact don't speak until you are sure you're alone."

I stayed silent for a few seconds, "I'm alone," I whispered, deliberately making my voice quiver.

"Good, now tell me, can the others hear you?"

"No," I answered.

"Excellent," he murmured. "Now I don't really want to hurt your mother Bella, but I want you. So if you do exactly what I say she won't be harmed," he assured me. I didn't believe a word he was saying. "I have to admit Bella, I was a little disappointed to find that you mother's blood doesn't smell nearly as appealing as yours. If it had I would have almost been prepared to take her life instead of yours. Alas, we can't always have everything we want can we? So I'm willing to trade you- your life for hers."

"What do you want me to do?" I whispered.

"Well, I'm sure you're a clever girl Bella, I need you to get away from your vampire friends and come meet me. I'm sure you remember the place you use to take ballet lessons at right?" The benevolence in his voice irked me.

'Yes," I choked out, making it sound like I was on the edge of hysteria.

"Good," he purred, "We'll be waiting," he promised, and with that, he cut off out conversation, hanging up the phone.

I sat there, my lunch forgotten as I mulled over the conversation. I knew that somehow I was going to have to lose Alice and Jasper- I didn't want them getting involved, and it would be easier to get James to talk about what he knew without Alice there. I began formulating a plan, although I was careful not to make any decisions- I didn't want Alice to have any visions of me escaping from them.

Jasper soon came back, and we played a few rounds of cards until Alice arrived, toting a multitude of shopping bags. She handed me some new clothes and i went to take a shower and change.

It was then time to head to the airport- where my plan would be put into action. My only regret was that I was going to miss seeing Edward- but I consoled myself with the knowledge that once the danger was over I would be able to spend much more time with Edward.

We reached the airport and Alice immediately headed for the terminal where they would be coming in from. Once there I decided that it was time to make my move. I cleared my throat awkwardly, "Uh guys, I'm just going to the toilet," I explained. They nodded, trusting me to do exactly as I said, and knowing that if James was at the airport Alice would have seen it.

I quickly walked away from them before I could allow guilt to set in and entered the nearby toilets, walking straight through and out the other door which lead to a different side of the airport. Once I was out I ran, heading outside as fast as possible and straight into a taxi. I gave him the address for Renee's house, planning to walk from there to the studio so that if the studio ended up on the news the taxi driver wouldn't connect me to it.

I chucked a few extra bills at him and urged him to make it as fast as possible. As we pulled away I looked back furtively, half expecting to see Alice running after me, but once we were on the freeway I sat back and breathed a sigh of relief.

I was now heading to take care of James. He was my problem- not the Cullens, and I was going to handle it. I pulled out my phone and called Volterra. I had known better then to call them before it was too late for them to intervene- Felix, and especially Demetri wouldn't be happy about the idea of a tracker hunting me.

As suspected, Demetri was furious, but when I calmly explained that it was only one vampire- something I could easily handle he calmed down a little- although I could still hear the underlying rage in his voice. "You should have told us sooner Princess," he berated me; "It is Felix and my job to protect you from vampires like him." He sounded pissed.

"I know Demetri, but I want to take care of this one myself." I said firmly.

"The next time you tell us there are vampires in the area we're coming to keep you safe," he stated firmly, and I could hear murmurs of agreement in the background, "No arguments."

I sighed, "Okay," I agreed.

He let it drop after that- although I suspected that he would still be annoyed for quite some time. "And we're coming regularly to check up on you once the Cullens know about us."

"Fine," I could tell from the tone of his voice that nothing would dissuade him.

Felix was a little less worried, "Kick his arse Princess," he said.

I chuckled darkly, "I intend to Felix, believe me, I intend to," and with that thought I bid them goodbye and started mentally preparing myself for a meeting with my would-be killer.


	26. Fight

I sat in the taxi thinking about my two vampire families, and I was sad that they were worried about me. While they knew that I could take care of myself, they were all still violently aware of the fact that I was still human, and James was a vampire.

The taxi dropped me off at my mother's house and I ran in, using the spare key that mum always left taped under the outdoor table in the backyard. It all looked the same, but sure enough, when I checked our home videos, one was missing. He had taken it with him.

After making sure the house was still neat and tidy, and that mum wouldn't notice anything when she came home, I locked the house, replaced the spare key and headed down the street to the ballet studio. I searched out with my shield and found James hiding in one of the backrooms of the studio. Thankfully the entire place was empty- apparently nobody came in on public holidays.

I confidently opened the door and stepped in, locking it behind me in case any humans decided to get too adventurous and come near. Once inside I could hear a loop running of my mother's panicked screams. Playing my part I dashed towards the sound, yelling, "Mum, Mum! I'm here, where are you?" I closed in on the sound, yanking open the door of the room that the sound was coming from. Inside I found a TV set playing the scene I remember of me as a child in Volterra. I grinned- I had James right where I wanted him now.

I felt him creep up silently behind me, but I wasn't scared- my shield was secure, and I had expanded it out so that he wouldn't be able to get within a foot of me. "Well done Bella, that was very fast," his dark voice complimented me.

Still playing the weak and terrified human, I whirled, allowing myself to take a deep breath and gasp in shock, "Where's my mother?" I asked, my voice deliberately trembling.

He chuckled, an evil grin appearing on his face. "Your mother is fine Bella, in truth, I have no idea where she is- I never had her to start with," he gloated.

"You tricked me," I accused, my voice still wavering.

"Of course," he sounded smug, "How else was I supposed to get you to ditch your little protectors and meet me here?"

I stayed silent, wondering how much he would divulge. He pulled out a video camera and started filming my terrified face. "You see Bella," he explained, "I had a feeling that you would want to go somewhere where you felt safe- humans always feel the need to go somewhere familiar to them when they get scared. So I had Victoria break into your school and get your details- you are the only Isabella in the entire school. Imagine my delight to find that you had a mother living in Phoenix. Of course I immediately headed here on the hunch that I might find you, and I was very pleased when Victoria overheard your mate in the airport in Alaska saying that he was catching a flight here. It just confirmed my suspicions that you were already here."

I let him continue to gloat, pleased that he had fallen right into my hand. "Of course, I was a little disappointed that your mother wasn't here- I had planned on actually using her as bait," I shivered at that thought, "But when I found your home movies I soon realised that I wouldn't need her after all." His eyes glinted in the dark- a deep burgundy that told me he was hungry.

"I have to admit, in all my years, you are the second most tantalizing scented human I have ever come across. The first was my singer," his eyes showed a deep rage at that. "She was supposed to be my gift. But I was cheated from my prize by another vampire- a yellow-eyed animal drinker like your little family. She was in a mental asylum, barely aware of her surroundings, but the vampire fell in love with her." He snorted at that, "Must be a side-effect of drinking animal blood- they all go crazy. In any case, he found out that I was after his little pet and he changed her before I could get to her. To this day she is the only one that has ever gotten away from me." He paused for a second, "Imagine my surprise when I found her with your coven."

My eyes widened. I had been right- he did know Alice's past. "Alice," I whispered.

"Yes," he confirmed, "When I'm done with you I'll find her and kill her- she will not be a mark on my perfect record for too much longer. I killed the vampire who changed her," he was snarling now. The evil glint in his eyes was now in full force.

Then his demeanour changed, the look on his face now stealthy. His voice became smooth and persuasive. "Now Bella, just because your life ends here, doesn't mean my hunt is over. I'm really looking forward to your mate coming after me to avenge your death." His eyes sparkled with a sick kind of excitement. He zoomed the camera in on my face, "Beg him to avenge your death." He urged.

I stayed silent, casting a glare in his direction. Now that I had confirmation about his knowledge of Alice, it was time to drop the charade. I was quivering all over- not with fear, but with rage. How dare he try to hurt Alice? How dare he threaten my family and my mate?

He didn't like my silence. He walked closer, a menacing look on his face. But I dropped my facade of being scared. I glared right back at him. "Ask him to avenge your death Bella!" he yelled at me; furious that I'd disobeyed him and annoyed that I no longer looked scared.

"No," I said firmly. I wrapped a shield around the video camera, forcing it out of his hand and settling it a safe distance from us, still filming. His anger suddenly turned wary as he stared me in shock.

"Telekinesis?" he whispered, his eyes wide.

"Guess again," I snarled, throwing a shield at him and sending him crashing into the wall.

His look turned venomous as he got up and lunged at me, growling threateningly. I threw him back again, growling right back at him.

This time he stayed down a bit, his look turning contemplative. I grinned triumphantly. If he thought I was going to let him get away he was sorely mistaken. Before he could make any move to escape I grabbed him in a shield and dragged him towards me. He struggled desperately against the invisible force that moved him towards me. I tightened my shield and he cried out in pain.

Once he was within a few feet of me I pushed him down on his knees so that he was looking up at me. "How does it feel when your prey becomes your predator?" I challenged him. My rage was peaking now.

He stayed silent, his eyes ambivalent, but his face showed a determination to remain silent. I simply compressed my shield again, causing more screams. "Do you like feeling like your victims? Do you find pleasure in torturing them with your sick games?" I snarled at him.

He showed absolutely no remorse. "Yes," he said, his eyes daring me to do something about it. "But you're not like me, you don't kill people. You don't have the strength to kill me," he taunted.

My gaze got blacker. "On the contrary James; you are not the first vampire I have killed, and I strongly doubt that you will be the last. But understand this: I have absolutely no problems killing anyone who plays sick; sadistic games such as yourself- in fact I won't even feel a smidge of guilt over it."

His eyes widened at my revelation and for the first time I saw some uncertainty flicker across his face before it relaxed back into a taunting sneer. "If you kill me Victoria will come after you," he threatened.

I laughed, "Then I will happily give her the same fate," I informed him calmly. My determination became stronger, I realised I didn't have a lot of time before the Cullens showed up. No doubt Alice knew exactly where I was. It was time to see what else I could get out of him. "What else do you know about Alice," I demanded.

He glared at me, remaining silent. I simply smiled, compressing my shield around his pinkie finger until it fell off and hit the floor with a soft thud. James moaned in pain before collecting himself and glaring at me. "Start speaking now or you'll lose the whole hand," I threatened.

"If you're going to kill me anyway, why should I tell you anything?" he snarled.

"So that your death is quick," I answered, "If you don't answer my questions I will tear off all of your limbs one by one slowly and painfully while you scream and beg for mercy- a mercy which you never gave to any of your victims." I was determined that he should pay for what he'd done. I sliced off his other pinkie, feeling a sick sense of power when he cried out in pain. "Your whole hand will be next," I warned.

He started talking. "Her name was Mary Alice Brandon- she was born in Biloxi and was placed into the asylum at a young age due to her apparent ability to see visions of the future. She had a sister called Cynthia. Her parents placed her into the asylum, then claimed she was dead- they even gave her a grave." He chuckled darkly, "The date on her tombstone and her admittance papers were the same. It's not like anyone would have missed her if I had killed her, in fact I gathered from her family that they would have welcomed her death so that they wouldn't have to pay any more bills from the asylum. I would have been doing them a favour."

He sounded so confident of that that I was chilled to the bone. My anger spiked, and I could no longer hold back. "This is for Alice," I snarled before grabbing his head in my shielded hands and twisted hard, ripping it off. I crushed his body thoroughly with my shield, his life ending with a loud screech.

I calmed down after that, slowly using my shield to rip up some of the wooden floor and stacking it against the vampire pieces. Reaching in my pocket I pulled out the lighter Felix had given me all those years ago and flicked it open. Bending down, I was just about to set him on fire when the doors burst open with a loud crash. I straightened up to see the Cullens rush in, their faces worried and fearful.

Their anxious looks turned to shock as they took in James' crushed body parts lying on the floor, the large pile of wood, and the lighter in my hand. Edward was the first to rush to my side, grabbing me and holding me tight. "Thank god you're alright," he whispered as he buried his nose in my hair.

As the adrenaline started to wear off I realised how much energy this confrontation with James had spent, and I wilted into his arms, enjoying the sensation of being with him again. "I missed you," I whispered.

He sighed, "I missed you too. I was so worried Bella." He pulled back to look into my eyes. His golden eyes were serious and worried. "Please don't ever do anything like that ever again," he begged me. I just nodded in agreement.

We were broken from out embrace by Emmett. "Aw Bella, couldn't you have waited? I wanted to fight him," he whined, looking like a little boy that had been denied his favourite toy.

I just rolled my eyes. "Sorry Emmett, If you're lucky I'll save the next one for you," I promised. Edward growled at that.

"Well done Bella," Jasper said quietly as he scrutinised the remains. Carlisle remained silent.

I extracted myself from Edward's embrace and flicked my lighter open again. Bending down I let the body and wood catch fire.

We stayed until the fire began to roar and the body was in ashes. On the way out I grabbed the video camera and turned it off. Edward stared at me quizzically, but I just shook my head. "Later," I promised.

It was obvious that we weren't going to make it back to Forks for another day, but Alice took care of it- ringing Charlie again and saying she just hadn't had time to shop for everything, so we were going to stay for another days. She was very persuasive, and Charlie caved pretty easily. With that done we headed home- Emmett, Jasper and Alice driving back, while Carlisle, Edward and I flew.

I kept the video camera on me at all times, knowing that it would be very important to Alice- I wasn't sure how much she'd already seen while scanning the future, but I knew she'd want to know the whole story- as horrible as it was. Often on the flights as I lay in Edward's arms I spotted him eying the camera speculatively.

Edward was literally glue to my side the whole time as we travelled back to Forks. He seemed worried that I would disappear on him at any moment, and he always had at least one hand on me. Not that I minded- in fact I loved having him so close all the time.

When we finally arrived back in Forks- Esme picking us up at the Port Angeles airport in Edward's Volvo, we arrived home to find the rest of the family all back. Alice danced towards me as soon as I got through the door, and I handed her the video camera. "If you want us to leave while you watch it we will," I told her quietly.

She shook her head, although there was indecision in her eyes, "No Bella, I want you all to find out with me."

I nodded and lead Edward over to the sofa while Alice connected up the camera to the TV. I noticed everyone's curious glances and explained. "James knew Alice when she was human, he knows about her past, and why she can't remember."

Their eyes widened, and they turned back to the screen urgently as Alice pressed play. We all watched in silence as the video started. When Edward saw James telling me to ask him to avenge my death he snarled, drawing me closer to him as if to reassure himself that I was really here. They all tensed when James lunged for me, but the relaxed slightly when they saw him flung into a wall.

They were absolutely silent as they watched me torture the information about Alice out of James. When the video finally finished with us watching James burn into ashes, I turned to look at Alice. She was quivering in Jasper's arms as he attempted to calm her. We sat quietly, the rest of the family's gazes moving between Alice and I.

Finally Alice calmed. She turned to me, "Thank you Bella- not only for finding out the information, but for killing him for me," she said gratefully.

I smiled at her, "Your welcome Alice, you would have done the same for me."

Jasper nodded at me, new respect and gratefulness in his eyes.

Emmett of course, couldn't bear the seriousness of the situation and broke it up. "Wow Bella, remind me to never get you mad," he exclaimed, "You're incredibly scary when you're angry."

Everyone broke out into stilted laughter at that.

Carlisle had picked up on a different part of the dialogue between James and me. "He's not the first vampire you've killed?" he asked softly.

I shook my head. "No, a few years ago a vampire tried to attack me, and I killed him as a reflex," I explained, leaving out the part where I was in Volterra at the time.

The relaxed a little, though they all seemed to have finally understood how dangerous I was to them. "I would never hurt you guys though," I promised urgently, worried that they might suddenly not want me around now that they knew I could easily kill them all.

"We know dear," Esme assured me, a genuine smile on her face, "We trust you just as much as you trust us."

I relaxed, relieved, into Edward's arms. I looked over at the clock and realised that it was late on Tuesday afternoon. It was time for me to go home. I knew Alice needed some quiet time to think about all she had learned, and Charlie would need his dinner.

Edward and I got up- and after grabbing some clothes out of my wardrobe and placing them in a couple of shopping bags we headed out. I needed the clothes to keep up the pretence that Alice and I had actually been shopping for the last couple of days.

Charlie was happy to see me, and glad that I'd had a good time shopping with Alice and Rosalie- although he warned me that it couldn't become a frequent occurrence for me to miss school for shopping, even if I did already know everything that was being taught.

While I waited for Edward to reappear before I went to sleep, I called Volterra, and they were relieved to hear that I was fine- Felix and Demetri congratulating me on my trapping and killing of James. They were all now eager for the Cullens to know about them so that they could come and visit me every now and then. While I argued that I didn't need them babysitting me, secretly I was happy that I would get to see them regularly- I missed them all.

I fell asleep that night in Edward's arms happy that everything was back to normal after such a hectic few days.


	27. Proms and Paintballs

BPOV

Over the next few weeks, life went back to normal for all of us. I woke up to Edward every morning, went to school and joked around with the Cullens, hung out with Edward at my house, or with the Cullens at their house, after school, ate dinner with Charlie, then went to bed where I fell asleep in Edward's arms. My weekends were usually spent with sleepovers at the Cullen house, and helping Alice, Esme and Rose plan the decorations for Prom- since Alice had taken my advice and volunteered to do it.

A few days after we returned from Phoenix I received an interesting phone call from Renee, who was now enjoying the sunshine in Florida. She had some news to share. "Bella, you'll never guess what I just heard. You remember our neighbour in Phoenix- Mrs Smyth?"

"Yeah?"

"Well she just rang to tell me some shocking news. Believe it or not someone burned down the old ballet studio that you used to go to."

"Really?" I tried to sound shocked.

"Yes. What kind of person would do such a thing?"

Me, "I don't know mum," I murmured.

"Well It's terrible- the poor owner. At least she has insurance though..." I zoned out while Renee continued to ramble on about the burnt down studio. I felt a twinge of regret- I hadn't even thought about how devastated the owners would be when I burnt it down.

Finally Prom night arrived- something I had eagerly anticipated for weeks since I was really looking forward to seeing Edward in a tux. Alice, Rose and I had spent the whole day together getting ready- we even went for massages, manicures and pedicures in Port Angeles in the morning to- as Alice said, "Make us feel like a million bucks."

We were now relaxed, happy and content as we put the final touches on our outfits and made sure every hair was in place. We all looked spectacular. Alice was wearing a lovely long yellow, one shoulder gown with cut-outs on the sides showing patches of her pale skin and a slit up the side that ended mid thigh. She had coupled it with canary yellow diamond earrings and a matching necklace, with more diamonds in a thin headband in her hair. Rosalie was looking unbelievably provocative in a sexy red dress with a neckline that dropped down to her waist. Rubies at her throat, ears and wrist completed the ensemble and made her look like a goddess. There was no way Emmett's eyes would ever be off her tonight, and I had a feeling most of the males attending the prom would have trouble concentrating on their own dates tonight.

Alice had yet again designed me a dress that suited me perfectly. It was a deep blue long silk dress that flowed beautifully around me when I moved. This time I was wearing jewellery that my uncles had given me when I was fifteen- a collar about 1.5cm wide with alternating vertical bands of sparkling sapphires and diamonds, with a matching bracelet and earrings. The colour of the stones matched my dress perfectly.

All of us were wearing stilettos that Alice had had custom made with the same fabric as our dresses so that they matched perfectly.

As with the spring dance, we made our entrance from the top of the staircase, our three guys waiting eagerly at the bottom. We slowly made our way down to them together, my eyes immediately on Edward as I took in his stunning form in a tuxedo. He was gorgeous and my eyes raked hungrily over his tall form until I finally reached his golden eyes. They were wide with appreciation, and stayed locked on me as I approached. When I neared the bottom of the stairs he moved forward to collect me as if in a daze. I was shocked when he suddenly stumbled slightly, tripping on his own feet in his eagerness to be near me.

Everyone turned around to look at him incredulously- I had never seen a vampire act clumsy before. "Wow, I didn't know clumsiness was contagious," Emmett commented. We all burst out laughing at that, and I was secretly proud of the fact that I had dazzled Edward so much that he had tripped.

This time Alice had arranged for us to share a limo to the prom and it arrived while we were having photos taken. I looked out at it and rolled my eyes. Alice was not known for subtlety. Our limo was a white stretch hummer with blue neon lights underneath. It looked more appropriate for Vegas than here.

We got in and I felt excitement seep through us as Jasper hyped us up. No doubt Alice had ordered him to make sure we enjoyed ourselves. The ride to the school was passed quickly as I snuggled into Edward's arms and we joked with the others until we felt the limo draw to a stop at the school.

We exited to find that the front of the gym was had a large banner in white with gold lettering saying, "PROM." Inside looked amazing thanks to Alice's magic touch. It was all tastefully decorated in black and gold, and white and silver. All of the tables had alternating black and white tablecloths. The black ones had gold trimming and gold centrepieces, while the white ones had silver. Streamers and helium balloons were strung everywhere alternating in the four theme colours. Alice had even hung a large disco ball and neon lights above our heads.

Once we had complimented Alice on her decorating, she dragged us all out on the dance floor. The music this time was classics, including a lot of instrumentals that allowed me to dance properly with Edward. I soon found myself waltzing happily around the dance floor in Edward's arms, thankful for Renata's dancing lessons, and blissfully ignorant of the incredulous and jealous stares we were receiving. At one point though, when we stopped so that I could have a little break, I caught the eyes of Jessica and Lauren as we left the dance floor, and if looks could kill I would be six feet under. Their glares were mean and jealous as they looked at me, and turned desperate and pathetic when their gaze turned to Edward. Beside me Edward winced slightly, and I knew their thoughts were getting to him. I glared viciously at them. They winced and immediately turned. "Mine," I growled lightly under my breath as I turned back to Edward. His gaze was amused and very happy. "What?" I asked, curious about his sudden change in demeanour.

"I loved you calling me yours," he confessed. I had to admit that I was slightly surprised by my own possessiveness, but I realised it was probably a mare thing.

I grinned, "Well that's exactly what you are Edward Anthony Masen Cullen, so you'd better get used to it," I informed him smugly, "Never forget that you're all mine, only mine."

He leaned down and kissed me. "All yours," he promised, "Forever."

Emmett came up behind him then. "Whipped," he announced.

Edward turned to him and cocked an eyebrow. "And you're not?" he asked.

Emmett considered it for a few seconds and glanced over at Rosalie, who, as predicted, was gaining attention from everyone tonight. "Never said I wasn't, welcome to the club man," he said as he clapped Edward on the shoulder and stalked back over to his wife. I chuckled softly, leaning happily up against Edward.

Looking around I noticed Angela swaying contentedly in Ben Cheney's arms and I was pleased for her- it had been obvious since the day I'd arrived that they both like each other a lot, although they had both been too shy to do anything about it.

As the night got later I realised that a lot of the students looked drunk. I began to get suspicious when I saw Alice in the corner shaking her fist as Emmett and getting angry. "Why is Alice mad at Emmett?" I asked Edward.

He looked over at them and his expression turned annoyed. "Emmett spiked the punch," he informed me.

I groaned, "Dad's going to kill him if he finds out." Then again, when I really thought about it, I'd love to see Emmett locked up in a cell for the night, hmm. Then another thought occurred to me. "How come Alice didn't see it?"

"Alice did see it, and she had a spare bowl of punch and switched them when Emmett spiked it, but he just went back and spiked the second bowl too," he answered me.

I rolled my eyes in disbelief, "Of course he did," I grumbled as I headed over to the refreshments table and Edward got me a glass of water. I noticed that most of the punch was already gone, and Edward discreetly emptied the rest into the other bowl of spiked punch sitting under the table. There were a few complaints from people when they realised that there was no punch left, but hopefully it would prevent them from getting too drunk.

Other than that interruption, the rest of the night passed as if I was in a wonderful fairytale with my personal prince charming. The night finally ended in my bed later that night as I was kissed senseless by my prince charming before falling into a peaceful and contented slumber safe in Edward's arms.

The day after the prom Edward let me sleep in a little and wake up on my own- apparently Charlie had decided not to disturb me after such a big night. When I asked what he was doing I was informed that he was looking at the many photos that Esme had taken last night on his computer, as Esme had emailed them to him early this morning. "He thinks you look beautiful," Edward informed me softly, "He can't believe his little princess has grown into such a beautiful woman." I felt myself tearing up at that.

When I eventually got up Edward left and I made my way downstairs, filling Charlie in on my amazing night as I ate breakfast, deliberately leaving out the part about the spiked punch. He showed me the photos, and I had to admit that we all looked stunning.

I left soon after, hopping in my 370z and speeding along the familiar route to the Cullen house. I was excited. Today was the official start of the summer holidays and hopefully, in the next couple of weeks the Cullens would be in Volterra and my secret would be revealed. Charlie and Renee already knew about my visit to Italy- I had been planning to spend some of my summer holidays there before I even moved to Forks. Of course, I hadn't actually decided to go to Volterra because I knew that it would tip Alice off. I just had to hope that Charlie wouldn't think about it in front of Edward for the next week. Instead, I made a firm decision to spend the next ten weeks of summer holidays in Forks with the Cullens.

I arrived to find a very excited Emmett already waiting, with Alice, Rosalie, Jasper and Edward behind him. All of them were holding paintball guns, and Emmett had a second one in his hand. I grinned. Paintballing was yet another activity that I had played regularly with Felix and Demetri and I was a pro.

I was soon armed with my own paintball gun and on Edward's back as we ran out into the middle of the woods- far enough away from humans that they wouldn't see us and in an area with plenty of trees and scrub to take cover in. Emmett had made me promise not to shield anyone other than myself during the game to keep it fair. We were playing in couples, although technically Rosalie and Emmet were at a severe disadvantage since neither of them had a special ability. Edward knew where they were from his mindreading, I could feel them with my shield, as well as protecting both of us from attack, Alice could see if anyone was coming near her, and Jasper could feel if people were close by their emotions. Each team had different coloured paintballs- Emmett and Rosalie had red, Edward and I had blue, and Alice and Jasper had yellow.

When we finally started I simply walked straight out into the open, attracting all the attention as both teams fired at me. Of course, with my shield it was pointless to shoot at me since I couldn't get hit. Instead, I soon had a bubble around me that was quickly turning orange from the combination of paintball colours. Meanwhile Edward had snuck up behind the teams and was firing off shots at both teams. They soon realised that he had ambushed them however, and turned to fire on him since they knew it was pointless to keep shooting at me. Of course, they were still underestimating their human, and while Edward dodged their shots with his incredible speed, I shot at the others, getting every shot. I took great pleasure in seeing Alice's face completely blue from my paint. I knew she wasn't pleased. "I'll get you back for this Bella!" she screamed at me. I just laughed.

We all ran out of ammo at around the same time, and I quickly leapt up onto Edward's back as we raced against the others back to where we had all cached out extra ammo supply. We all quickly reloaded, shooting at each other as we retreated back into the trees.

We continued our game, changing tactics and sometimes changing teams. Our last game was every person for themselves- which was fun, although for some reason I couldn't find Emmett- who I had been particularly wanting to shoot a little more than the others.

When we packed up I realised that Emmett still wasn't with us. Something told me that he was up to no good again. "Where's Emmett?" I asked Alice suspiciously, fully aware of the fact that since I had gotten blue paint all over her face and hair, it was likely that she wouldn't tell me where he was or what he was planning.

She smiled secretively. "Oh he just gave up and went home early."

I raised my eyebrow. There was no way that Emmett would just give up and go home early without a reason. Something was up. I turned to Edward hopefully, but he shook his head, "She's reciting the Gettysburg address over and over," he explained.

I didn't like this one bit, and as we ran back I could feel a sense of dread washing over me. Jasper looked over and smiled sympathetically.

Sure enough, when we arrived back I immediately spotted the reason for Emmett's early departure from our game. My beautiful black car now had a completely bedazzled hood. The plastic gems were in different colours, with a pattern of blue stars in a silver background. In the middle of the hood was green gems spelling Emmett's name. I had to admit that if it wasn't on my car I would have been impressed- it really was a work of art. Emmett was standing beside my car- a self satisfied smile on his face as he admired his handiwork.

His smile vanished as I got down from Edward's back and stomped up to him. "EMMETT!" I yelled, "YOU RUINED THE HOOD OF MY CAR!"

He smirked, "Payback's a bitch Bells," he said cockily, looking pleased with himself.

I glared. "Damn right it is Emmett," I said angrily as I stomped over to the garage and opened the door. Emmett's expression turned to confusion.

I wrapped a shield around his Jeep and levitated it out until it was next to my car, but hanging a couple of feet up in the air. "Remember what I said about your Jeep making a nice cube of scrap metal?" I asked, smirking evilly as Emmett's expression turned horrified. Behind him, Edward, Jasper, Alice and Rosalie's faces lit up into amused smiles, and out of the corner of my eye I saw Esme and Carlisle quietly exit the house to observe. Esme had a camcorder in her hand, and Carlisle had a camera. "No no no, Bella please!" Emmett pleaded, falling on his knees in front of me.

"I warned you Emmett." I said severely, although I was starting to feel a little amused to. The sight of this oversized man in front of me, on his knees begging for little old me to not destroy his beloved Jeep was ridiculously comical. I raised the Jeep another metre in the air.

Emmett upped his begging. "Please Bella, I'll do anything. I'll take off all the gems and make your car as good as new, I won't tease Edward anymore about staying with you at night," he pleaded.

I stopped to consider the offer. I had to admit that the idea of him not teasing Edward was incredibly tempting. I lowered the Jeep gently to the ground. "My car better be better than new in the next two hours," I informed Emmett, who stood up looking relieved, "And if Edward ever tells me you've been teasing him again about him spending the nights with me your Jeep will be a heap of scrap metal, and you won't have any opportunities to beg for me to stop," I informed him.

Emmett immediately ran into the garage and returned moments later with a bottle of some sort of solvent for removing the gems. I headed inside with the rest of the family, and after they cleaned up and got rid of the paint all over themselves we headed to the lounge room. We sat on the sofa as Esme plugged in the camcorder and we watched as the video panned around, getting a good shot of my bedazzled hood and my threatening look as Emmett's Jeep hovered behind me. When Emmett started begging me we all laughed at the comical sight.

When it was finished I asked Esme to email me a copy of the video, and Edward and I went upstairs to spend some time together.

Luckily for Emmet, when I emerged from the house I few hours later to head home I found my car in perfect condition, with not a sign that it had ever looked any different. I headed home satisfied. When I arrived I immediately emailed Volterra with the video of me threatening Emmett, and then called them. As I had predicted, they found it hilarious, and couldn't wait to meet everyone.

I was feeling pretty confident that when my Volturi family met my Cullen family they were going to get along splendidly- as long as the Cullens reacted well to my secret.


	28. Intuition and Invitations

BPOV

When Edward woke me up the next morning he informed me that the whole family- minus Carlisle, who had to work, were going hunting for the day. As much as I didn't want him to leave, his eyes were pitch back. I urged him to go and started my day leisurely until I came up with a brilliant idea. I rushed out of the house- grabbing a bottle of superglue on the way.

I soon reached the Cullens and walked inside the empty house. Obviously Carlisle was still at work. I knew he had been working night shifts lately since he didn't need to sleep. I worked fast and prayed that Alice wouldn't see what I was doing and tell Emmett.

I had just finished super gluing all of Emmett's game controllers into a tower when Carlisle arrived home. He looked mildly surprised to see me sitting guiltily in the middle of the lounge room, super glue in hand and a tower of game controllers in front of me. He took it all in and chuckled. "In my opinion, Emmett has definitely met his match with you Bella."

I grinned, "It's nice to have a prank war opponent."

"Well life has definitely gotten interesting since you arrived," he observed. Suddenly his gaze turned thoughtful. "I have a feeling that you may have that effect on all civilised vampires you meet," he observed softly, his eyes were serious.

I stiffened. "What do you mean?" I asked cautiously. I had warned the Volturi against making a decision about what to tell them, since I knew that as soon as they received their invitation Alice would be searching to see what they wanted. Therefore I doubted that Alice had figured out anything. Then again, I reasoned, Carlisle had lived with my family for decades, so it was more than plausible that he might have figured out my secret on his own. I just hoped he hadn't already shared his findings- it would be a lot easier to explain it to everyone if we were in Volterra.

Carlisle sighed, "Which European country were you in when you first ran into vampires Bella?"

He knew, or at least strongly suspected. "Italy," I answered quietly.

"I'm going to go out on a limb here and guess that you didn't just have a one-off run-in with those vampires did you?" I shook my head. His eyes widened as he realised that his suspicions were confirmed. "You're the princess aren't you?" he whispered with awe in his voice. I nodded again and looked warily up into his golden eyes; waiting for his reaction and hoping he wouldn't feel too betrayed, mad, or even worse; scared of me.

I was shocked when he chuckled. "Well that answers a lot of questions."

I gaped at him, "You're not mad that I didn't tell you and your family?" I asked relieved but bewildered.

He shook his head, "I lived with the Volturi for a long time Bella, and I know exactly what they're like. I realise that they would have asked you not to say anything- after all, they have been breaking their own law just by letting you live for all of these years."

I nodded in agreement. "If it's any consolation, any day now you'll be receiving an invitation to Volterra for your whole family- we were already planning on telling you," I informed him.

He smiled. "Then I suppose you would prefer it if I was to keep quiet and not think about it until we go to Volterra?" He asked.

"If you could," I answered. "Uncle Aro would be upset if he missed his opportunity for theatrics."

We both laughed at that. "Indeed princess, it seems that Aro hasn't changed a bit." Then he cocked his head. "Did you call him Uncle Aro."

I grinned, "Yep, they're all like a family to me." He shook his head in wonderment.

"How did you figure it out?" I asked. I thought I'd been doing a pretty good job of hiding my true identity.

"Oh, just little things here and there suddenly fit into place. The chess move that you used to beat Jasper is one of Caius' favourites. You have little mannerisms that remind me of them and you are completely comfortable around us. Jasper was shocked for weeks, waiting for you to finally feel an ounce of fear around us- but it never happened. Also, your gift is extremely powerful, and I often wondered what Aro would think if he encountered it. The things that pulled it all together though were when you mentioned that it wasn't your first time killing a vampire. I realised that you'd actually planned to trap James and get the information about him out of him about Alice out of him- I could see it in your eyes. Only another tracker like Demetri could have taught you enough about trackers to do that.

What really finally cinched it was when I saw your lighter." He paused and I pulled it out, looking at it quizzically. My eyes opened wide as I realised that the engravings on it would be recognisable to someone who had spent time with the Volturi. He pointed to the engravings on one side, "As I'm sure you are aware, that is the specialty symbol reserved for the highest members of the Volturi," he commented.

I nodded. The engravings were something that all twelve other members of my vampire family had on various items of theirs. I was used to seeing it everywhere in Volterra, and barely noticed the symbol now. I flicked the lighter over and showed Carlisle the other side. It was an engraved I with a V underneath it that stood for Isabella Volturi. On top of that was a crown, and surrounding it was a pattern of freesias and lavender. All of it fit into a circle about the size of a ten cent piece. "This is my personal symbol as the Volturi Princess," I explained to Carlisle.

He ran his fingers over it lightly. "Very pretty," he commented, "It suits you."

I smiled. "You know, the funny thing is that when I became the princess and I decided that I definitely didn't want to hunt humans when I am changed, I asked Aro about alternative feeding methods. Aro told me about you. I was very impressed by your compassion for humans and I decided that when I am changed I will also be a vegetarian vampire. We were even going to come and find your family after I graduated and ask if I could stay a while after my change- at least until I got used to the diet and could resist humans. Aro even wanted to set me up with Edward."

Carlisle laughed at that "Aro always was a little eccentric. I am pleased at how well this has turned out. You are perfect for Edward Bella, and you are already a permanent part of our family." His eyes were sincere, "I am proud to have you as a daughter."

I hugged him tightly, unbelievably happy at his words and acceptance of me into his family, "Thank you Carlisle," I whispered.

He hugged me back, "You're welcome," he replied. I released him and sat back down on the sofa. "When are you going to be changed?" he asked softly.

"Within a year of my graduation," I answered, "Although I could probably stretch it out another six months or so."

Carlisle closed his eyes for a second. "Edward's not going to like this," he muttered.

"I know," I answered, "But he's going to have to get used to it soon since it's been predestined for me since I was four." He smiled grimly in response. "Besides, hopefully sometime soon Edward will get his act together and propose," I muttered.

Carlisle's eyes opened wide and he snorted. "I have a feeling that the only thing keeping Edward from whisking you away to Vegas and marrying you right now is the fact that you're not eighteen yet and also because he knows that most young women don't want to get married so young- especially not while in high school," he explained.

I sighed in exasperation, "Well I'm not most girls," I commented drily and he chuckled in acknowledgment. "Besides, It'd be nice to be engaged until graduation since I don't intend to get married until after I've finished school," I told him. "Anyway, I suspect Alice is going to need time to plan the wedding."

Carlisle grinned, "Yes, no doubt she will. She's going to be so excited when Edward finally proposes."

I laughed, "Knowing Alice, she's probably already ordered my wedding dress from a top designer in Europe already." I smiled at the thought of Alice bouncing in excitement at the prospect of planning a wedding. "Now all I have to do is wait patiently for Edward to propose," I huffed at the thought. "I'm seriously considering proposing to him myself if he doesn't hurry up," I groaned.

Carlisle burst out laughing, "I'm sure he'd be happy to say yes if you did Bella, though he'd probably be a bit put out that you deprived him of the opportunity to do it himself."

I shrugged, "Well he'd better hurry up then. I only have so much patience." Carlisle just shook his head in amusement.

"Anyway," I said, realising that we'd gone a little off topic. "I'm sure you have a lot of questions about my history with the Volturi that you'd like answered." I looked at him questioningly and he nodded. I pulled out my phone and called Volterra, putting it on speakerphone.

Aro answered. "Hello Bella, how are you?"

"I'm fine Uncle Aro, but I have you on speakerphone and Carlisle is sitting right next to me. He just figured it all out."

Aro actually sounded thrilled, "Hello Carlisle, It's good to talk to you again after so many years," he exclaimed. Other exclamations were heard in the background and soon we could hear all twelve vampires near the phone as the greeted Carlisle.

Once they calmed down I explained everything and then with their help I told Carlisle my full history with my Volturi family. Carlisle was intrigued and interested, chuckling softly when things all fell into place, and laughing hard at some of the more embarrassing stories Felix and Demetri chose to share about me in my earlier years. By the end I wished that it was possible to reach down the phone and strangle my two guards.

We eventually ended the call with Aro's formal invitation to Carlisle and his family to visit at the soonest convenient time. Carlisle assured them that they should be there in about three days- they needed to go to Alaska first to finish up some urgent paperwork etc. and then they would be on their way to Volterra immediately afterwards.

I would of course, be meeting them there. I left soon after, hugging Carlisle and thanking him. "I'll see you in Italy in a couple of days," I promised as I left, barely remembering to retrieve my superglue as I headed out- the tower of game controllers all but forgotten.

EPOV

We arrived home late that evening, our thirst fully sated. We all got a good laugh as we entered the house and noticed Bella's scent in the air and connected it to Emmett's controllers- all of which were now glued into a tower. Emmett was irritated beyond belief, and immediately started plotting ways to get back at Bella as he stood morosely staring at the tower. I had to admit- Bella really knew how to get under Emmett's skin.

I was eager to change and go see Bella, but I was stoped short when Carlisle asked us to assemble in the dining room for a discussion. I read some of his thoughts and stiffened. The others looked between Carlisle and I curiously as we settled into chairs at the dining table. We watched Carlisle anxiously. He cleared his throat. "I received a phone call today from Volterra," at this information all of my family froze in shock and panic. "Aro has invited the whole family to visit them as soon as possible. I told him we'll be there in three days, since we need to go to Alaska first." We sat there in silence, absorbing the shocking news. An invitation from Volterra was as good as an order- nobody would even consider ignoring it.

I was horrified. I knew that with one touch Aro would find out about Bella. The Volturi weren't known for their leniency. I noticed that Carlisle was still calm. Emmett wasn't really too bothered- he never saw the need to worry over something that he couldn't prevent. Rose and Jasper were wary and worried, suspicious that it might be a trap. Alice was frustrated- she couldn't see what was going to happen to us. It appeared that the Volturi hadn't decided on what they were planning on doing once we arrived, so Alice couldn't see it. Esme trusted the fact that Carlisle didn't seem too worried. My worry built though and I exploded. "Carlisle, how can you be so calm? Do you know what could happen if they find out about Bella? They'll kill her and possible us as well."

If anything, Carlisle seemed slightly amused at my outburst and I couldn't fathom why. "Edward, I lived with the Volturi for many years and they do not make rash decisions. I am sure that if they find out about Bella- which is very likely, that you'll be able to argue them out of killing her if that's what they want. Personally, I doubt that they would want to hurt someone like Bella," he assured me. "Besides, at the moment, Alice doesn't see anything bad happening, do you Alice?" Alice confirmed that she didn't, which allowed us all to relax a hair. I could tell from the minds of my siblings that if the Volturi did threaten Bella, they would all try their hardest to protect her- even though our efforts would probably be futile and end up with us dying. "Now go and see Bella and tell her since we're leaving for Alaska in the morning."

I took his advice and quickly went upstairs and changed before heading over to Bella's house. She was reading in her bead when I slipped through the window and she immediately turned and smiled at me. The smile turned into a frown as she took in my anxious expression. She put the book down. "What's wrong Edward?" she asked with concern in her voice.

I sat next to her on the bed, gathering her up in my arms. Slowly I began to tell her about our invitation to Volterra, and the large possibility that they would find out about her and try to kill her. I also mentioned the possibility that they may kill us for associating with her. She shook her head at me and grabbed my face between her hands. He eyes showed a mix of guilt- undoubtedly she was concerned that this was her fault for befriending us, along with concern and determination. "Edward, I'll be fine and so will you. In no time at all you'll be back beside me where you belong." She said with conviction. Her words made me feel a little better.

"Just in case though Bella, if I don't come back I want you to move on and live a happy, human life without me." I meant it- if by some miracle she lived, I wanted her to be happy and experience all the normal human experiences, including finding a human man, and having a family.

Her eyes were intense as her deep chocolate eyes stared into my golden ones. Her hands tightened on my face. "Listen to me Edward Cullen," she said firmly, "You and your family are going to be fine, and so will I. The Volturi probably just wanted to talk and meet Carlisle's family." She sounded so certain that I found myself slightly reassured. "Has Alice seen anything?" she asked.

"No, It looks like they haven't made their minds up on what to do once we arrive" I answered.

"Well then you have nothing to worry about," she said.

"Things can always change," I argued.

She just smiled, "Have a little faith Edward. I'm sure that in a few days we'll be together again."

Our conversation ended soon after and while I was glad that she seemed to truly believe nothing would go wrong, she didn't really know just how powerful the Volturi were in the vampire world.

That night I lay there with Bella asleep in my arms, cherishing what could well be our last night together. I hoped she was right and that in a few days my family's encounter with the Volturi would be over and I would be reunited with my Bella. Of course, I couldn't help but run through all the other possible scenarios- most of which ended badly. Despite Carlisle's assurances, I certainly didn't rust the Volturi- one did not earn such a fearsome reputation without it being warranted. I thought it quite likely that they would find out about Bella and try to kill her. Of course, I wouldn't let that happen without a fight, and that meant that they would be forced to kill both of us. The only consolation to that scenario was that I wouldn't have to live without my angel. In all likelihood, if that occurred, my family would fight with me and be killed as well- definitely an outcome I would like to avoid.

Another possibility that I had considered which also seemed very plausible was that once they learned of Bella's gift they would turn her into a vampire. For me this was both my Heaven and Hell. While I selfishly wanted Bella with me forever, I also didn't want to damn her to a soulless existence just so that I could keep her forever. I also didn't want to deprive her of the many human experiences that were rightfully hers. Bella had asked me to change her, but she was far too young to realise all of the things she'd be missing if I turned her now, and she certainly had no idea of the immense thirst she'd be forced to endure as a vampire- the constantly burning throat she'd acquire. Unfortunately, if the Volturi chose this option it was unlikely that I would be unable to refuse, as secretly I wanted it as well. I just couldn't live with myself if Bella regretted becoming like me in the future.

When Bella woke in the morning I gave her a lone, passionate kiss, pouring all of my love into it. "I love you," I whispered, looking deep into her eyes.

"I love you too," she whispered back, "I'll miss you so much," she said, tears forming in her eyes.

I kissed them away, "I'll miss you more," I told her softly before kissing her forehead and disappearing out the window. Neither of us said goodbye because we didn't want our separation to seem final.

I headed home and in a sombre mood my family packed itself and our luggage into our cars and headed for the airport. Alice still hadn't seen any decisions about us in Volterra. I planned to change my will in Alaska- I would leave everything to Bella, just in case. Esme and Carlisle had some paperwork to complete. Then we would be heading straight to Volterra.


	29. Encounters

BPOV

After Edward left I wallowed in guilt for a bit. It had been so painful to let Edward think of worst case scenarios and not tell him who I really was. He had seemed so afraid that my family was going to want to kill me and possibly him as well. I had been so close to admitting that I was the Volturi Princess. Instead I had comforted and reassured him as best I could, taking comfort in the knowledge that I would soon be in Volterra with him. As soon as he had left I had started regularly alternating between a decision to go to the supermarket, and a decision to visit Angela, to stop Alice from seeing me going to Volterra.

Eventually I got up and reminded Charlie that I would be leaving for Volterra that night. My private jet (Courtesy of Santiago) would be waiting for me at the Port Angeles airport for me. He nodded, unsurprised. He was used to this after my regular visits from Volterra every year. I soon left. I had presents to get everyone while they were away and Alice was distracted by the upcoming events. Hopefully I might even manage to surprise her a little.

I headed to the photo shop first and had a photo of the six of us, taken before the prom, enlarged and framed for my desk. I also had a photo of Edward and I together, dressed for prom, enlarged to a 70cm x 50cm size and framed. The photo showed Edward in his tux standing behind me in my prom dress with his arms wrapped around me as we stood in front of the camera. Our faces were inclined towards each other and we had matching expressions of love and adoration on our faces as we stared deep into each other's eyes.

Once the photos were done I headed to the Cullen house to put the photo in Edward's room. I was surprised to find that for once they'd actually locked the place up. But that didn't deter me, I just levitated myself up to Edward's third floor window and opened it. The irony of the situation didn't escape my notice. After the many times Edward had snuck into my bedroom via the window, it was quite funny to be reciprocating- I just wished that he was here to see it. Once I was inside I held up the framed photo in different places along the wall with my shield until I found the perfect spot. I hung it, standing back to admire it, a smile forming on my lips as the picture evoked happy memories of the prom.

I was satisfied that when Edward got home he would love his surprise. I had gotten things for the others as well. Arriving within the next week was a brand new yellow Porsche for Alice, and a grey Ducati motorbike for Jasper. I was planning on giving Rose some jewellery, a customised gaming computer system for Emmett, that I had designed myself, and a priceless early painting from my private collection for Carlisle and Esme- an original Rembrandt. For Edward I also had a second surprise.

I had brought Emmett's gaming system and the painting with me (I had had it shipped over a few weeks ago in anticipation) and I quickly installed Emmett's system in the games room. I decided to let Esme hang the painting herself since she would no doubt know the perfect place for it, so I simply levitated it over to a corner of the lounge room, still wrapped protectively from being shipping.

Once that was all complete I realised that I still had a lot of time left before I had to go home and get ready for my trip so I decided on visiting the meadow. I missed Edward so much already and he had only been gone for less than half a day. I was slightly consoled by the fact that I knew without a doubt that the day after tomorrow I would see him again- I just prayed that he wouldn't react badly when he realised why I was in Volterra.

I drove to the end of the road closest to the meadow, and then headed through the forest in the direction Edward had taken last time after anchoring a shield around my car. It took me a few hours before I finally broke through the trees and stepped into the meadow. It was a stark contrast to the few minutes it had taken Edward to carry me here the first time. I lay down in the centre, enjoying the peacefulness of it. I stayed in the meadow for a while, feeling closer to Edward there, before I realised that I needed to start heading back.

I was barely halfway back when my senses picked up on a nearby threat. I stopped and searched out with my shield and felt a vampire in my presence, only about fifty metres away. I quickly noted that I recognised the vampire. It was Laurent. I turned slowly to face him; wary yet curious. I had thought that he was in Denali learning to become a vegetarian. I t watched as he slowly advanced towards me. When he got closer I noticed that his eyes were red- not even a hint of gold in them, and they were dark with hunger. I didn't like where this was going. "Hello Laurent," I greeted him cautiously, "What brings you here?" Are you visiting the Cullens?"

He continued approaching me, his face unreadable. "Actually Bella, I have left the Denali coven, and I'm here as a favour to Victoria." I froze. "You see, she wants to get revenge for Edward killing her mate, and she believes that the fairest way to do that is to kill you- a mate for a mate. I am here to scout out the situation for her so that she can find a way to get you to torture and kill you. Of course, we hadn't anticipated that the Cullens would be away today- that is a stroke of luck." He smiled; seemingly pleased with the situation we were in. Clearly he thought he had the upper hand- he was in for a rude awakening.

My eyes narrowed and I glared at him. "Unfortunately Laurent, Victoria is very much mistaken if she believes that Edward killed James. Edward didn't kill James- I did."

Laurent laughed in disbelief, and I began to get angry. "You obviously haven't been around vampires for very long if you think that you'd actually stand a chance at killing one," he observed. "You would never have been able to kill James- he was absolutely lethal. In fact, I'm even surprised that the Cullen family managed to do it."

I cocked an eyebrow at him, "I don't care what you believe Laurent, but what I said is the truth. I did kill James- singlehandedly. But don't let that stop Victoria from coming for me, I promised James that if she came after me I would make sure that she shared James' fate."

He looked at me with a mixture of disbelief and amusement. "Your confidence in the face of imminent death is admirable Bella, but pointless. I'm afraid that Victoria will not be getting her opportunity to torture you as she planned. Instead, she will be angry with me. You see, I am very hungry, and your scent is simply mouth-watering." He paused to take an appreciative sniff. "I can really see why James wanted you." He continued to advance, but I wasn't worried- my shield was secure. "Don't worry Bella. I will make this quick. Trust me, this is a much better option than allowing Victoria to get hold of you. Her plans included a much slower death for you." He was now only a few feet away.

I glared up at him. "Laurent, I'm going to give you one last chance to get away from me. If you don't I will kill you," I warned calmly.

He looked incredulous, "So brave Bella, even so close to death, and yet so weak and fragile, so...human," he observed. He leaned in towards my neck and I held perfectly still as his sharp teeth aimed for my jugular. They closed around my neck with an audible clack as my shield stopped him in his tracks. Laurent pulled back, stunned.

I smirked and my eyes narrowed. "On the contrary," I said; pushing out a shield and sending him reeling back a few paces. "I am far more powerful than you." My voice was still calm and controlled despite my outrage that he had just tried to eat me. I advanced on Laurent, watching as his eyes glimmered with fear and confusion. He had felt himself get pushed back, but as my shield was invisible to him he had no idea why. "If you hadn't tried to eat me I would have been content to let you go-I wouldn't even have minded you telling Vitoria where I was," I explained, my annoyance colouring my tone. Then my voice turned fierce. "But I will not tolerate vampires who try to eat me." Realisation dawned in his eyes as I wrapped a shield around him and crushed him into pieces.

I pulled out my lighter and allowed the pieces of Laurent's body to catch fire. I waited patiently as it smouldered away, making sure that the fire didn't get out of control and that everything was burnt.

As I waited, I soon felt a number of large animals enter the range of my shield. They were about the size of bears, but they were the shape of wolves. They were heading towards me. It suddenly dawned on me that they must be wolf shape shifters from La Push, probably chasing Laurent's trail. I frowned. I didn't particularly want to reveal my gift to them- but they would inevitably be curious about why I was here next to the ashes of a burnt vampire.

I turned and waited for them to be in view, unhappy when I felt them all change direction so that they were all coming from different directions to surround me. I identified the largest one though and stood facing the direction he was approaching from. Soon a large black wolf came into view in front of me. On either side of me a russet wolf and a chocolate one approached, while I felt a fourth and fifth behind me. I smiled welcomingly at the black wolf. "Hello, I assume you are werewolves from La Push. Would you mind phasing back so that we can talk?" I always figured that the best defence was a good offense, and my knowledge of them would undoubtedly make them stop for a little bit.

Sure enough they all stopped in their tracks and appeared shocked and confused. I turned to look at the last two wolves- a pair of grey ones- one pale and one dark. They all appeared to be communicating together, and soon the large black one and the russet one disappeared back into the forest. My eyes widened when they soon returned wearing cut-off jeans. It was Sam and Jacob. "Wow Jake, I guess that explains why you grew so much," I commented. It was true, in the last few months he had grown so much that he now looked over twenty, instead of the fifteen year old he really was.

He frowned, confusion obvious in his features, but remained silent. Sam spoke up, "What are you doing here Bella, and how do you know what we are?" His voice was authoritative, but too demanding for my tastes.

I rolled my eyes at him. "Please Sam, you guys aren't the only shape shifters in the world- in fact there's a tribe in Africa that phase into lions." Their eyes widened at this, I was feeling quite pleased with being able to throw them off kilter. "I've studied quite a lot about mythical creatures like vampires, werewolves and shape shifters," I commented loftily.

"Then you know what the Cullens are?" Jacob asked, "How can you be around them when you know how dangerous they are?" he demanded, ignoring the scalding look he was receiving from Sam.

My stance changed. How dare Jacob insult my new family? I glared at him. "Jacob they are no more dangerous than you- probably less since young wolves are volatile," they both seemed to wince at that, and I took note of the fact that Jacob was currently trembling slightly. "They do not eat people and they certainly aren't monsters. I will be friends with whoever I choose," I said frostily, "They are the best friends I could ask for."

Jake's trembling got more pronounced. "You're calling those bloodsucking leeches your friends?" he asked angrily.

"Yes," I answered defiantly, "and you have no say in who I can and cannot have as a friend Jacob Black. Edward is my mate- it's a similar process to you guys imprinting," I could see recognition light in Sam's eyes at that, "He will be my partner forever and his family would never hurt me."

Apparently mentioning that Edward was my mate was the last straw. Jacob's trembling turned to shaking and he exploded into a wolf, jumping towards me. I stood my ground and wrapped a shield around him, freezing him in the air metres from me. I was so annoyed that I wasn't even bothered that I had just revealed my shield to even more people. "Jacob!" Sam roared, outrage and fear in his voice. His eyes soon turned to me in astonishment as he realised that I was the reason Jacob was frozen in the air mid leap.

I now had my eyes angrily trained on Jake. "Don't provoke me Jacob," I warned him, "I've already had to kill a vampire for trying to eat me this morning," I said, indicating the asked near my feet, "I don't want to have to kill a werewolf for the same reason- especially when we've grown up knowing each other. But if you can't control yourself you will force my hand. I make it a habit to kill mythical creatures who attack me." My warning was clear, and observing the other wolves, I noted with satisfaction that they had all taken my words to heart. Jake looked calmer, so I lowered him to the ground and released him. He sat there looking as remorseful as a wolf could.

"Did you really kill the vampire we were following?" Sam asked in astonishment.

I simply nodded. "As you can see I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself. I do ask that you do not reveal my ability to anyone else- just as I will not reveal your secret to anyone either." My tone brooked no arguments and Sam nodded in agreement, still staring in awe at the ashes. "Now I believe you have a treaty with the Cullens, and you came over the treaty line to follow this vampire," I indicated the ashes again, "While I'm sure it was not consciously done in the excitement, I would appreciate it if you would return to your land and stay there. I feel that you would not be as lenient towards the Cullens if they crossed over into your land." My reminder made him wince. "They are well within their rights to tear you apart for being here," I subtly reminded him, "Although I am certain that they wouldn't even contemplate it unless you were intending to attack first."

His face looked slightly ashamed as he thought about it. "I think it is time for us to go," he said quietly. "It was nice seeing you Bella," he said before heading off. The others all followed him and I soon felt him phase and lead the others back towards La Push.

I headed back to my car and drove home, annoyed that my quiet day had been ruined by the presence of a thirsty vampire and a pack of wolves. Charlie and I had an early dinner before I bid him goodbye and headed to the Port Angeles Airport. I didn't bother to pack anything since my tower had everything I would ever need.

I arrived at the airport and was quickly processed and entering my luxurious private Jet- a birthday present from Santiago and Alec a few years ago to make travelling to other countries more comfortable. As soon as I entered I was pulled into enthusiastic hugs from Alec and Santiago, who were of course piloting the jet. I was so happy to see them I nearly cried. I had desperately missed my family.

Once the hugs were finished I sat back on the comfortable leather sofa, turned on some music and pulled out a book while Alec and Santiago took off. When we were in the air they alternated spending time with me and piloting the plane so that I could catch up with them, but I eventually ate some food from the fully stocked miniature kitchen in my jet before heading for the bedroom and sleeping away the hours.

I woke up to find that there were only a few more hours until landing, and I spent most of them in the cockpit hearing stories about the mischief Demetri and Felix got up to because they were bored without me to guard.

I breathed a big sigh of relief as I entered Castle Volterra and was bombarded with ten excited vampires. After hugs and greetings were out of the way I spent the day catching up with all of them, telling them the latest news about the wolves and Laurent. When I mentioned that Victoria was after me Demetri hissed, "We're coming back with you to hunt her then, we are your guards and it is our responsibility."

Felix nodded in agreement, "Besides," he added, "We've been so bored without you here."

I grinned at him in amusement, "So I heard," I said dryly, running through the list of pranks I had heard that they had played on the rest of the family while I was gone. They received sour looks from everyone.

Despite my joy at seeing my family again, I couldn't help but be a little anxious about tomorrow's events- when the Cullens would be coming. At the moment, to deter Alice I was currently planning to invite Angela over to my house in Forks tomorrow for a sleepover, then changing my decision and going down to First Beach in La Push.

I got barely any sleep that night; I was so restless in my lonely bed up high in my tower, agonising over the coming day.

That morning I got dressed in clothes befitting a princess and made sure that the minds of every vampire in the castle was shielded against Edward's ability. When Gianna rang and said that the Cullens had arrived I made my way down to the throne room by a back way, followed by Felix and Demetri. I quickly found the Cullens, with my mental shield this time, and shrouding them as well. I stopped outside the back door and pressed my ear to it; anxious to hear what was going on.

I listened as Aro greeted them exuberantly. "Welcome to Castle Volterra!" he exclaimed.


	30. Royal

EPOV

We entered Castle Volterra with a sense of trepidation; most of my siblings thoughts were anxious. Carlisle was still remarkably calm. Once we got inside I realised with a start that I could not read the minds of anyone inside the castle- not even a whisper could be heard. Even my own family's thoughts were now robbed from me. I stiffened and Carlisle looked at me in concern. "What's wrong Edward?"

I frowned, "I can't read the minds of anyone in the castle- I can still read the minds of people outside, just not anyone in here."

Recognition dawned in his eyes as he chuckled. "I believe that that is probably the work of the Volturi's Princess- I'm sure you are aware of the rumours regarding how powerful she is."

I nodded, disconcerted by the fact that the unknown princess had the power to stop my gift. Carlisle was grinning, and had amused look on his face. "I'm sure you'll get along well with her," he commented.

I stared at him in surprise, "You've met her?" I asked incredulously. He didn't answer, just continued leading us towards the reception area. A human was there, quite pretty for a human, but nothing in comparison to Bella. She smiled up at us and I frowned when I realised that I couldn't even hear her thoughts. "Welcome to Volterra, if you go through the door to your right Alec is waiting to escort you to the throne room." We followed Carlisle, who still remembered his way around and soon found Alec, a pale teenage vampire with cherubic features. He greeted us, but kept quiet as he lead us through the large castle.

As we walked I subtly observed my family. With the exception of Carlisle, they all seemed more worried now that they knew my gift wouldn't work here. Like Alice, they relied heavily on my ability in difficult situations to gauge whether we were in potential danger. Carlisle however, had obviously known this was going to happen, and now, more than ever I wished to be able to read his mind and find out how he knew the Princess, and why he'd never mentioned it before.

As we neared the end of another hallway, Alice's eyes glazed over for a few seconds and we all stared at her curiously. Her eyes locked with Carlisle's and she nodded. "Everything's going to be fine," She whispered triumphantly, excitement now in her tone. She skipped happily after Alec, her enthusiasm now back.

I was now desperate for my gift to work. "Alice," I pleaded, "What did you see?"

She simply smirked, "Nothing for you to worry about dear brother, although you're in for quite a shock," she winked conspiringly at Carlisle. "You are going to get along rather well with the Volturi Edward, especially their princess."

"I don't want to get along well with the princess Alice," I growled in frustration. "I want to get this over with and go back to Bella as soon as possible!" My voice had raised to a loud whisper now, and out of the corner of my eye I saw Alec smirk at me. I just couldn't figure out why. "What's so special about this princess anyway?" I grumbled. "Just because she can stop my gift from working doesn't mean she's special."

"Trust me Edward, you'll change your tune when you meet her," Alice assured me, and Carlisle nodded in agreement. The others all looked on with a mixture of confusion and amusement. Jasper had complete trust in Alice, and now that she had assured us that we would be fine he had relaxed, content to watch them annoy me.

I had to admit that I was in an even worse mood than normal due to my separation from Bella. I missed her so much. It was all I could do to stop myself from running back to the airport and boarding the next plane back to Forks. "I wouldn't do that if I were you Edward," Alice warned. "Trust me, you need to be here." I sighed, and nodded in acceptance.

We finally arrived at a large pair of old, ornately carved doors. "The Throne Room," Alec announced as he pushed open the doors. Inside were nine vampires. Three I recognised from Carlisle's painting as Aro, Marcus and Caius. I scanned the females wondering which one was the princess, but none of them seem to fit the profile and I was at a disadvantage without my ability.

Aro greeted us exuberantly. "Welcome to Castle Volterra!" he exclaimed. "It's good to see you again Carlisle, and to finally meet your family. He confidently strode up, and after shaking Carlisle's hand, turned to look at the rest of us, his gaze lingering on me for the longest time.

"Aro, it is good to see you again," Carlisle greeted him. He then proceeded to greet the other vampires and I learnt their names: Santiago, Renata, Sulpicia, Didyme, Jane, Heidi. I suddenly realised that the princess wasn't yet in the room. Alice was still bouncing beside me in anticipation as Carlisle introduced us to Aro. When he held out his hand to me I took it apprehensively: Carlisle had told us of Aro's power, but Carlisle had already shaken Aro's hand, so there wasn't much I could do. Hoping Alice was right, I tentatively clasped his hand in mine.

He was silent for a second as the thoughts and memories of my entire life flashed before him. When he finally released my hand only seconds later he burst into raucous laughter. "Edward here thought we would want to harm his human mate Bella when we found out about her," he choked out. With the exception of Alice and Carlisle, who had amused expressions on their faces, the rest of my family looked on in bewilderment as the ten Volturi vampires in the room laughed.

When Aro finally composed himself he looked at me apologetically. "Rest assured Edward, we wouldn't dream of harming your dear Bella." I inwardly wondered if this was some sort of trick- without my gift I couldn't tell, but he did look sincere. I relaxed a little. "I must commend you on continually resisting the temptation of your singer. I see from your memories that it was incredibly difficult. Not many would have the level of self control to achieve what you have, let alone the wish to do as you have and keep her so close to you," he observed thoughtfully. "Your love for her is the strongest I have ever seen in all the memories I have seen in the last three millennia." I nodded in acknowledgement. I knew my love for Bella was insurmountable.

Once we were all introduced Aro in turn introduced us to the rest of the vampires in the room and named their gifts. Most of them eyed me speculatively, as if they knew some secret about me that I didn't know. I was wary.

As the introductions were made I found myself wishing Bella was with me, but then berating myself since I didn't want to draw her further into the vampire world than she already was. I took a deep breath to chase those thoughts away, and was confused when I smelt a faint whiff of Bella's scent. I frowned, it was barely there and stale, like she'd been in this room years ago- an impossibility. I decided that I must be hallucinating because I missed her. My mind was conjuring up her scent. I shook my head to clear it of these thoughts and concentrated around me. Everyone seemed more relaxed since the Volturi clearly weren't planning to kill us- not yet at least.

"Now, I'm sure you are all wondering why you are here- with the exception of Carlisle and Alice of course, who already know," Aro began. We nodded. "Well quite simply, we wish for you to meet our Volturi Princess," he stated and my eyes widened. Nobody outside the top twelve Volturi had ever met her, and yet we were going to. I couldn't help but wonder why. "While this may come as a bit of a shock to most of you, you have actually already met her," I frowned at that and mentally ran through a list of the female vampires I had met over the years. Victoria, Charlotte, Maria, Tanya, Kate, Irina, Carmen...none of them seemed to fit it- I had certainly never encountered someone whose thoughts I couldn't read before- except Bella of course. I stopped short at that. No. Bella couldn't be the princess, she was human. But I couldn't help but wonder about the strange coincidence that Bella and the Volturi princess could both stop me from reading their thoughts.

I was distracted before I could pursue that line of thought as Aro continued talking. "And now, I would like to formally introduce you all to our Princess." At those words a door at the back of the room opened and in strode a small, lithe and incredibly beautiful figure. She was graceful in a long white gown, her step confident and regal as she approached us. Around her throat hung a large, golf-size diamond, suspended on a thick rope of gold. Her mahogany hair was loose and hung in waves down her back and atop her head was a small platinum tiara encrusted with diamonds. Unlike the rest of the Volturi- who wore pitch black cloaks, hers was royal blue, the hood thrown back. It was Bella. I felt my jaw drop slightly, and beside me I could feel most of my siblings frozen in shock- except for Alice, who was jumping in excitement. Bella's scent washed over me, giving me a hit of familiar searing thirst.

She glided across the room towards us, her stride confident and commanding. She was flanked on either side by two tall, strong vampires, both absolutely at ease following her. As confident as she looked, her eyes showed her anxiety. I continued staring at her in silence, shocked beyond belief. Impossible! My mind shouted at me, and yet, I could not deny what was right in front of my eyes. "This is Princess Isabella Marie Swan Volturi," Aro said with a grand wave of his arm as Bella reached us.

Her eyes showed her uncertainty as she looked at us, smiling tentatively. I couldn't move, I was still frozen in shock, and her tentative smile disappeared.

BPOV

I had imagined many different reactions to this, especially in the last couple of days. As I advanced towards Edward and the rest of the Cullen family I noted that Alice obviously knew- due to my nerves, I had stopped making decisions when I headed for the throne room. She seemed to be taking the news well. Edward on the other hand, was staring at me in shock, unmoving. A disbelieving look was in his eye. I reached them and smile tentatively. Emmett grinned and rushed forward, giving me a big bear hug. "Hey Bella, good to see you little sis. Who knew you were higher up in the vampire world than we were hey?"

I smiled at his enthusiasm and hugged him back. Felix and Demetri stiffened. They weren't used to vampires hugging me like that. I released Emmett and backed up a little, rolling my eyes at my guards. "Stop it guys, he's not going to hurt me," I scolded them. I turned back to the Cullens. "These are my guards, Felix and Demetri," I said, introducing them. "Guys, this is the Cullen family: Carlisle, who you already know, Esme- his mate, Emmett, Rosalie, Jasper, Alice and Edward." I stopped when I got to Edward; unlike the others he was still staring at me, frozen solid. His face was unreadable and I was suddenly nervous. "Edward?" I asked softly. In all my imagined reactions, this had not been one of them.

He started out of his frozen state and his eyes became sad. I got worried. "Bella, why did you lie to us?" he pleaded softly, his tone was pained. "Was anything you said true? Did you actually mean it when you said you loved me or was it all a lie?" he demanded.

My eyes opened in shock at his accusations and I watched, tormented as he turned to head out the door. My heart felt like he had ripped it out and was currently tearing it into small pieces. "Edward wait!" I called desperately. He turned reluctantly to face me. I thrust aside my mind shield, for the first time I let Edward into my mind.

EPOV

I was in pain. Bella had lied to us since we first met. I had fallen in love with the Princess of the Volturi. My mind was pondering reasons why she had done it. Was she sent to spy on us? As I turned reluctantly back to face her, waiting for her explanation, I was bombarded with the most beautiful internal voice I had ever heard. Edward please just listen to me. Let me explain it all. Then if you still want to go and never see me again I'll understand. I will still love you forever. Even with the amount of pain in her mental voice, it was still melodic, and as beautiful as Bella. Then she started concentrating, and I was bombarded with her memories.

I watched in silence as she showed me how she'd met Aro, Caius and Marcus. I winced as I saw her memories of them draining her captors. I saw her meeting Felix and Demetri and throwing them into walls. She showed me her memories; learning to drive with Santiago, learning musical instruments with Didyme, shopping with Heidi, chess with Marcus and Caius, learning how to use her shields properly and fighting Felix and Demetri.

I finally learnt the full extent of her shields- including her mental one. Then she showed me the reasons behind her deciding to move to Forks and her surprise to find five vampires at the school, her first official meeting with me- the spark she felt when she first touched me. She ran through memories of our time together; how happy and in love she felt with me and I felt my heart piece itself back together. The feelings she had when she remembered us kissing matched my own- incredible love and passion.

Finally, she showed me the reasons why she had kept this part of her life a secret- the incredible guilt she'd felt for doing it. When she finally finished her memories she said, Please Edward, I love you. Then I felt her mental block snap back, and I stared at her.

"Oh Bella," I sighed, rushing towards her and gathering her in my arms. She smiled up at me as I bent my head down and captured her lips with my own. We stayed locked in our embrace until finally Bella needed to breathe. When we finally broke away from each other I could hear the hoots of Emmett joined by Felix, Demetri and Santiago.

Bella turned and shot them a playful glare. "Shut up guys, you wouldn't want me to throw you into a wall in front of our guests," she threatened. They pouted at her. It was easy to see that they all thought of her as a part of their family.

Still wrapped in my arms she turned to face my family. "I suppose I've got a lot of explaining to do," she said sheepishly. They nodded; curiosity evident on their faces. "Well if you'll follow me to my tower, I'll explain everything there. No need to have everyone here stop me every five seconds to tell you embarrassing stories." She stepped out of my embrace, taking my hand and leading us out of the throne room. Her two guards followed, immediately falling into step behind her.

"Aw Bella," Emmett complained, as we followed her through the castle. "I wanna hear the stories."

Felix and Demetri grinned, "Don't worry, we'll fill you in later."

Bella scowled at them. "Then I'll be forced to tell them about all the times I've beaten you," she threatened.

They shrugged, "You've probably already told Edward anyway," Felix said.

Bella just glared and kept walking, she suddenly paused for a second. "Oh Edward, I'm sorry, you must be felling a little strange not being able to hear anyone's thoughts. I'll unshield everyone's minds now," she apologised guiltily.

She continued on and I was suddenly bombarded with everyone's thoughts. Alice was excited, Esme had processed everything and was now looking forward to seeing Bella's tower, Jasper was reserved, but he could feel that the Volturi genuinely loved Bella and wasn't planning to hurt us. Rose was a little more hesitant, but she had remembered the cars Bella said she had and was looking forward to spending time with her. Carlisle of course, already knew everything and had before we came- I was a little annoyed that I hadn't figured it out from his strange reactions in the last few days. Emmett was, predictably, wondering whether he could challenge Felix and Demetri to fights. The rest of the Volturi were just happy that the big reveal had gone well and that Bella was pleased. Marcus and Caius were wondering whether they could take up one of Bella's offers and threaten me like fathers- apparently Bella had promised they could in a phone call before her first date with me.

"It's alright Love," I assured her, "To be honest, it was quite nice to have peace in my mind for once." If I hadn't been so worried beforehand I would have enjoyed it.

We finally reached the end of a long corridor and Bella pushed open a door to reveal a huge, round room. It was the bottom of a tower. The entire place was beautifully decorated and so- Bella. Emmett immediately spied her huge TV and gaming system and ran over. "Bella this is so cool," he enthused.

Bella smiled at him, "Where'd you think I learnt to be so good at games Emmett?" she asked, "My guards and I used to play all the time," she said, nodding towards Felix and Demetri who were eyeing Emmett speculatively and wondering in their thoughts how good he was.

Esme and Alice admired the decorating, furnishings and paintings. Alice continued looking, a frown on her face. Finally she asked, "Bella, where's your room?" Bella grinned and pointed upwards. High above our heads was a small gap, a three foot ledge, and a door. There were no stairs, and it was too high for a vampire to jump to.

"My room is up there," she explained, "I'm the only one that can reach it."

Alice pouted, extremely annoyed. "How am I supposed to see your closet then?" She asked.

Bella's answering grin was triumphant, "You can't," She stated simply.

"What?" Alice asked, her voice sounding forlorn.

Bella caved. "Fine Alice, after I'm done explaining I'll take you up there," she promised.

Alice grinned, then looked thoughtful. "How?"

In answer Bella simply levitated herself and Alice off the ground and into the air, moving them up to her door. She then brought them back down to the ground. "Like that," she said, smugly.

"Cool," Emmett commented, making himself comfortable on Bella's lounge. The rest of us settled as Bella started telling her story. I sat beside her, watching Felix and Demetri's memories of Bella in the castle as she told my family. As I played with her hair, and saw her finally relaxed now that the truth was out, I realised that, like it or not, Bella was now mine forever- her thoughts had told me as much. Whether I changed her or not, in around a year she would be a vampire. On the other hand, I was no longer as worried as before- Bella clearly knew everything there was to know about being a vampire- she knew more about them then I did. She had also had over thirteen years to consider the fact that she would be a vampire, and evidently she still had no regrets. I knew we were going to be fine.


	31. Vacation

BPOV

I explained to the Cullens everything about my history- with Felix and Demetri interrupting periodically with funny stories- "You should have seen the little spitfire; walked right into the castled as a four-year old girl, completely at ease. Then Felix calls her cute and she throws him into a wall!" Demetri laughed.

Felix glared at him. "Yeah, well then you called her an angry little kitten and she threw you into the wall too." He retorted. Everyone laughed at that.

Emmett and Jasper were especially interested in my mental shield. "Bella that's awesome! You can shield us from Edward and we can finally have a fair fight, or play games without him using his mind-reading to cheat!" Emmett loved that idea, and Jasper seemed to be considering how chess games would go when Edward couldn't read his mind.

Alice laughed hard when Felix and Demetri mentioned how Heidi had made me walk everywhere in stilettos for months until I could do it without tripping. Everyone found the fact that they'd had to continually catch me hilarious. All in all my two vampire families were bonding well.

It took nearly the whole day before my story was completely finished, and by the time it came to an end, the rest of my vampire family had migrated into the room as well. The nineteen vampires watched amused as I cooked myself some food for dinner, talking amongst themselves and getting to know the other family members. Once I had eaten Alice and Heidi, who had of course bonded over their mutual love of shopping, made me take them up to my room- I took the rest of the Cullens as well, since they all seemed interested in seeing it.

Esme and Carlisle adored the view of the city from my window, Alice was incredibly jealous of my closet- which was actually over twice the size of hers. Everyone seemed impressed as I rid myself of my cloak, tiara and necklace. Emmett of course had no problems making comments. He whistled in appreciation. "Damn Bella, this place is niiiiiice."

I just smiled and nodded at him. "Fit for a princess hey Em?"

He grinned, "Absolutely."

Eventually most of us went back down. I sent the Cullens down first, waiting until I was the only one left to come down. The Cullens- minus Edward, who had seen it in my memories, and Alice, who had seen the outcome, were shocked when I fell backwards off the ledge. I fell straight down on my back, the ground rushing towards me. I heard Esme's terrified gasp, and Emmett's urgent cry of "Bella! No!" About four feet from the ground I caught myself in a shield and brought myself upright; grinning at their shocked and fearful faces.

Edward and Alice chuckled along with my Volterra family- all of whom had seen me do that regularly. Esme rushed to me and hugged me. "Bella, please don't ever scare me like that again," she pleaded.

I felt guilty at making her worry. "Sorry Esme, I didn't mean to scare you," I apologised.

Of course, Emmett was the first of the Cullens to see the possibilities. "Bella, you have got to let me try that!" he boomed, sounding like an excited kid at a carnival.

Edward shook his head in amusement- nothing would ever change Emmett. "Some other time Em," I promised.

They soon settled with the other vampires, seeming to find others with their own interests amongst the bunch. Rose and Santiago had immediately struck up a conversation about cars. Jasper was challenged to games of chess by Caius and Marcus. Aro and Sulpicia were talking to Carlisles about recent developments in the human world. Esme was talking to Didyme, Jane and Renata about the castle decorating- especially my tower, while Emmett was playing video games with Felix and Demetri. Of course, Alice was still talking to Heidi about fashion and shopping, but they were joined by Alec when they started talking about different countries and places to go. Edward and I were content to just sit together. I loved the fact that they were all bonding so well.

When the time finally came for me to sleep I got rid of everyone from my room except Edward. I could hear Caius grumbling downstairs, "I still don't like the idea of that boy in her room at night." I rolled my eyes at Edward as I got under the covers and snuggled into him.

Sleep didn't come right away, so I turned to Edward, kissing him passionately, showing him how much I had missed him in the last couple of days. He kissed back with equal fervour. We continued in our make out session until we heard Jasper below. "Wow," he observed, obviously speaking to the others. "The amount of lust coming from up there is phenomenal."

We stopped as I heard the combined outraged roar of Uncle Marcus and Caius. "What!" they growled.

Felix's distinct whistle was next. "Woohoo, Bella's finally getting some!" he yelled.

"Awesome," yelled Emmett, "I guess that means Edward's not a virgin anymore."

I sighed, tucking my head into Edward's chest. "Way to ruin the mood guys!" I yelled down at them. They just laughed at me.

"Bella, if you can't behave Edward won't be spending any more nights in your room," Caius warned.

"Uncle Caius," I grumbled, "It's the twenty-first century!"

Things finally settled down a little later and I was soon drifting off to sleep with Edward humming my lullaby to me.

The next two weeks passed by far too quickly for my liking. I loved how my families managed to get along seamlessly. All of us females went out for all day shopping trips a couple of times while the guys played football together.

Jasper had found worthy opponents in both Caius and Marcus, and they often played strategy games together. The times that I joined them I usually teamed up with Jasper against my two uncles and we often beat them- I knew every one of my uncles' usual tactics and with Jasper's help we were unstoppable. Edward often looked on proudly.

In Didyme Edward had found a fellow lover of music, and when Edward wasn't shadowing me I could often find him with Didyme conversing about their favourite music over the last hundred years.

Rose of course, adored my cars. When I first took her down to our enormous underground garage and she spotted all the sports cars stored there- my Audi R8 and Bugatti Veyron, Santiago's Pagani Zonda, and a plethora of other Lamborghini's, Ferraris etc. she bounced up and down like Alice and squealed in excitement. "Oh Bella, I'm in heaven," she sighed when she finally calmed down. Santiago and I took her to our private track and all three of us raced each other around the track. By the end of the first week Rose had driven all of the cars in the garage and was now plotting ways to get Carlisle to let her get her own Bugatti Veyron in Forks. Somehow I doubted Carlisle would like that idea, since it wasn't exactly an inconspicuous vehicle.

The real fun came late in the first week when Emmett finally asked the question he had been burning to ask since he first saw Felix and Demetri. "So would either of you like to wrestle?" he looked at them both hopefully, excitement and anticipation sparkling in his eyes.

They chuckled at his eagerness. "We'd love to," Felix said, his eyes glinting evilly, "But it's up to our princess of course," he turned to me expectantly.

I sighed, annoyed that he felt the need to remind everyone of my status and how they answered to me. "Sure, go ahead," I said, "In fact, I think I'll come and watch- if you're lucky Emmett, once you guys are done I'll take all three of you on at one," I winked at him and he looked at me in disbelief.

"Ah, no offense Bella, but even with your shield, there's no way you can hold back all three of us," there was concern, tinted with arrogance in his voice- he really thought I had no chance. At that moment I was thankful that Emmett had never seen the full extent of my powers- it was obvious that he was convinced that I could only take on one vampire at a time. Edward looked on amused; he had seen through my memories other times when I had taken on the whole Volturi coven at once just to see whether I could. He certainly wasn't worried, in fact I got the distinct impression that he was looking forward to me taking Emmett down a peg or two- again.

I simply smiled at Emmet, "We'll see Emmett, we'll see."

Both families all came with us to the large practise room Felix and Demetri had used over the years when they taught me to fight. It was just a huge empty room with a very high ceiling and about the size of a basketball stadium.

They decided that Emmett and Demetri would fight first, and Felix would fight the winner. "My money's on Felix," I remarked.

Emmett turned to look at me, "Aw Bella, aren't you going to back your favourite brother?" he whined.

I laughed, "Not when you're going to lose Emmett, I only bet when I'm going to win," I stated confidently.

Beside me Rose snorted softly. "Well I have to bet on my husband, so how about one hundred thousand Bella?"

I grinned, "Deal," I said, shaking her hand confidently, "I hate taking your money like this," I joked. She laughed.

Demetri looked at us in mock sadness, "What, nobody's going to bet on me?" he asked.

Heidi rolled her eyes at him. "Fine! One hundred thousand on Demetri," she declared, looking at Rose and I. "Three way bet?" she asked. We both nodded. "Awesome."

I looked over at the three vampires. "All right, I'm sure you know the rules. No biting, and no leaving the room." They all nodded in acceptance as Emmett and Demetri squared up. "Alright then, on three. One. Two. Three."

The immediately started circling each other, their eyes raking each other for a weakness. Simultaneously they launched themselves at each other, playful growls and snarls coming from them.

We watched avidly as they wrestled together, muscles rippling as they used their strength to try and get the other to submit. Eventually thought, much to Demetri's surprise, Emmett gained the upper hand and won. Heidi groaned, "Demetri! You just lost me $100,000!" He shrugged, looking a little annoyed that Emmett had actually managed to beat him.

I laughed, "Geez Demetri, you've let yourself go. Maybe i should hire Emmett as my guard instead," I teased. He growled at me, his eyes sparkling with amusement. He knew it was a I'd never replace my guards, but it had been a common joke amongst us since Felix and Demetri had first been assigned to me.

After a short break (Since neither of them needed to recover anyway) Emmett faced up against Felix. Once they started I began cheering, "Go Felix! Kick his ass!"

Rose immediately retaliated, "Come on Emmett! They'll be a nice reward in it for you tonight if you win," she purred seductively. Emmett immediately doubled his efforts.

I glared at Rose, "Come on Felix! If you don't want your arm disappearing for a week you'd better win!" I yelled. Immediately Felix focused harder, and with a strong, well placed kick he brought Emmett down hard, immediately wrapping him up so that he couldn't move. Emmett looked dismayed as he admitted defeat, while Felix just looked relieved.

I smiled smugly at Rose and Heidi. "I'll give you my bank details later."

Jasper looked confused. "Do you usually threaten your guards like that Bella?" He asked, "Both Demetri and Felix both had genuine fear when you threatened to take Felix's arm for a week."

Both Felix and Demetri grinned wryly. "Unfortunately," Demetri drawled, "Bella has a tendency to follow through on her threats- if Felix had lost she really would have torn off his arm and hidden it for a week. It has happened before to both of us when we annoyed her too much," he explained.

The Cullens gaped at me as I shrugged nonchantly. "You would too if you were constantly shadowed by a pair of irritating guards who act like five year olds most of the time."

Alice laughed "I've threatened Emmett before, but I've never actually followed through." She looked thoughtful.

Emmett glared at her, "Don't even think about it," he growled at her. We all laughed.

Then I decided that it was time for a proper demonstration of the full extent of my shield. "Okay, so come on Felix, Demetri, Emmett and Santiago, let's fight- all of you vs. me." I turned, figuring that I could use another person. "Jasper, you too," I decided. He looked at me sceptically, but when Alice nodded at him he joined the other four strong male vampires and they moved to the middle of the room. I grinned in anticipation- I hadn't had a good fight in a long time.

Esme looked worried for me, Carlisle looked thoughtful, and Edward and Alice looked excited- they knew what was coming.

I stalked out towards the five vampires in the centre; already shrouded in my shield. "Come on, attack me," I taunted them. Emmett of course, immediately launched himself at me in a direct attack, while the others had the sense to stay back and think of strategies. I waited until Emmett was closer before setting up a shield in front of him. He slammed into it hard, a resounding crack sounding through the room. He was sent reeling back, and behind me I could hear everyone snickering. I smirked at him, "You're not hurt are you Emmy?" I taunted. He snarled. The others all started closing in on different sides and at a nod from Felix they all ran full speed towards me.

I let them all come in. Felix, Demetri and Santiago immediately started trying to punch and kick me, knowing from experience that I wouldn't get hurt- it only hurt them to hit my shield. Jasper and Emmett hung back for a second until they saw that I was unharmed, and then they threw themselves into the fray. Jasper grabbed my leg, trying to trip me, but I spun and kicked him with my other leg, amplifying the kick with a shield to send him flying back.

I continued fighting all of them with my martial arts moves until I felt that I had gotten enough of a workout for the day. Then I just wrapped them up in shields and levitated them away from me. Felix, Demetri and Santiago immediately chanted, "You win," I let them go. I looked at Emmett and Jasper expectantly as they looked at me in confusion.

Emmett smirked confidently at me, "Uh, no offense Bella, but eventually you'll get tired and have to let us down, and when you do we'll win, so... we're not giving up," Emmett stated confidently. Jasper remained silent, but looked suspicious.

Demetri snorted, "Sorry to burst your bubble Emmett, but Bella isn't very patient. If you don't yield soon she'll squeeze you tight until she's nearly crushing you, and if that doesn't work she'll start taking your limbs off one by one."

Emmett looked at me, "Aw Bella, you wouldn't really do that to me would you?" he pleaded.

"Try me," I smirked.

Alice piped up then, "She would, I've seen it," she confirmed.

"I yield," Emmett sighed. I let him go then turned to Jasper.

I didn't like the confident look in his eyes. Suddenly I felt a strong desire to sleep. "Come on Bella," Jasper drawled persuasively, "If you let me go you can sleep."

I let my anger burn away the drowsiness as I glared at him indignantly. I squeezed him tight. "Nice try Jasper, but not good enough. Yield now or you'll lose and arm." He could feel my rage at being manipulated, and knew how serious I was. He gulped and I heard my two guards snicker- they knew better than to provoke me.

"You win," he finally conceded. I let him down and walked happily and victoriously back to Edward. He grinned and kissed me, wrapping his strong arms around me. I melted into his embrace, reaching up to deepen the kiss. We broke apart to Felix, Demetri and Emmett's hooting. I just smirked at them before leaning up to capture Edward's lips again. "You did wonderfully love," he whispered in my ear.

Of course Emmett soon decided that Jane's power, which he'd heard about over the years, was very cool and he begged her for a demonstration. "Idiot," I muttered, then I sighed and untangled myself from Edward, preparing in case I needed to save Emmett from himself; Jane wasn't known for her self control. Jane smiled viciously at Emmett, and he stared back, confident that he could handle any pain she dished out.

All of a sudden Emmett dropped to the floor; writhing in silent agony. He was still quiet though, so I knew Jane had only given him a low dose of her power. I stayed where I was, watching as Jane increased the pain until Emmett was screaming. Then I knew he was in unimaginable pain. Jasper was now also on the ground in pain- having felt Emmett's and Edward could hear it in their thoughts.

I quickly snapped a mental shield around Emmett, and his screams immediately halted. Jane pouted at me, then shrugged as Emmett and Jasper picked themselves up off the floor. Jasper glared at Emmett, "Don't ever do something that stupid ever again!"

"Ouch," Emmett muttered. His eyes held a new respect for little Jane, as did the rest of the Cullens.

"You're lucky," I commented. "She hadn't even gotten to the stronger thresholds yet."

"Yeah," Jane grumbled, "I didn't even give you a proper demonstration- I would have if Bella hadn't shielded you." Emmett looked at me thankfully. I just grinned and shrugged.

Later in the week Aro mentioned Laurent in passing and all of the Cullens tensed, turning to me for an explanation. I winced as I realised that in all the excitement I had completely forgotten to tell the Cullens of my meeting with Laurent. I explained my run-in with Laurent, what he'd said about Victoria, and then my confrontation with the wolves. "Aw Bella," Emmett complained, "You promised that you'd save the next vampire for me."

I rolled my eyes at him, "Sorry Em, if you'd been there I wouldn't have dreamed of getting ion your way- although I doubt he would have tried anything if you had been there," I pointed out.

Edward was more upset at Jacob. He was furious that Jacob had lost control and attacked me- if I had been the normal human Jacob had thought I was I would be six feet under right now. To be honest, I was a bit miffed myself.

Rosalie and Jasper were indignant that the wolves had dared to cross the treaty line, while Esme and Carlisle were just happy that I was safe, although Carlisle was disappointed in Laurent. "If the Denali coven ever comes for a visit you will have to watch out for Irina," he warned me, "She got very attached to him when he stayed in Alaska, and was very upset that he'd left." I nodded in acknowledgement.

Of course, Felix and Demetri soon explained that they would be coming to visit soon to track down Victoria and kill her. Edward, Emmett and Jasper immediately protested, saying that they'd be happy to take care of it themselves, while Rose, Alice and I glared at them. "No offense, but you have three mates that will worry about you," Felix pointed out, "Besides, as Bella's guards it is our duty and right to protect Bella by killing off any threats." My guards' stances were firm, and the guys soon realised that protesting would be useless. They dropped the subject.

I loved my two weeks in Volterra with both of my vampire families. I had spent a lot of time eagerly showing Edward my favourite things to do and places to go. He loved the music room and the view from my bedroom window the most. I was understandably a little sad when the time came to head back to Forks- though I was looking forward to seeing Charlie again.

Alice had packed for me- shoving all sorts of 'necessities' into ten suitcases for me. Rose had raided my shoes, since I never wore pairs of shoes more than a few times each, and I had plenty in my closet that I wouldn't wear again that Rose loved. I packed a few books that I had pilfered from Aro's library of mythical creatures and then it was time to say goodbye to my Volterra family.

I hugged them all and promised to call them soon before we headed to the small private airstrip where my jet was kept. The Cullens had been impressed when they found out about my jet and Emmett had immediately started pressuring Carlisle into buying their own jet. Carlisle wasn't budging though.

And so, after an enjoyable two weeks with all of my favourite vampires, I found myself comfortably ensconced in Edward's arms as we looked out of the small aeroplane's windows at an aerial view of Volterra while Santiago and Alec flew us home.


	32. Return and Renovations

EPOV

As we travelled back from Volterra, I lay happily with Bella in my arms. She had fallen asleep only a few hours after takeoff, and was currently snuggled up against me wrapped in a soft blanket. Every now and then she would sigh my name and my heart would burst with happiness.

Our time in Volterra had left me extremely relieved. I knew now that there was no way the Volturi would ever hurt Bella. I had listened to their thoughts during the two weeks and was now certain that they had no ulterior motives with Bella. They all loved and adored Bella- she was the heart of their family, just like she was the heart of ours. It was obvious that Bella had been euphoric that we had all got along so well with her Volturi family. We had a lot in common with the Volturi and had gotten along extremely well.

Of course, just because we all liked each other, didn't mean that the three leaders would let me get away without a warning. In fact, while Bella had been busy arguing with Alice when she was packing Bella's luggage, Aro, Marcus and Caius had cornered me.

*Flashback*

"Can we have a private word with you Edward?" Aro asked politely. They turned, simply trusting that there was no way I would say no. I followed them into the library and shut the door. From their thoughts I realised that I was going to be given the typical 'what are your intentions towards Bella' speech that all potential boyfriends get from fathers. Apparently they had been upset that they didn't get to psyche me out before I took Bella out. It surprised me to learn that Bella had promised that they could do this to me while I was here. They had obviously been looking forward to this for a long time.

"So Edward," Caius started, "I know you know why we're here, so I'm just going to come out and ask: What are your intentions towards Bella?"

Aro's thoughts were amused- they had never had the opportunity to do this before, and they rarely found anything new after millennia's of living. Since Bella's arrival their lives had dramatically changed for the better.

"I assure you that I have nothing but honourable intentions towards Bella," I was actually quite nervous- the approval of this part of Bella's family was much more important than Charlie's approval simply because Charlie couldn't hurt me. I was bulletproof. However, the Volturi could kill me in seconds if they didn't like me. "I fully intend to be with her and love her forever," I assured them.

"Excellent!" Aro exclaimed. "I am so glad Bella found such a good mate. I saw from your thoughts that you are perfectly suited to Bella. In fact I don't know if Bella mentioned it but a few years ago I told her about your family and hinted that you sounded like a good mate for her," he chuckled, "I'm so glad it worked out."

I looked at him in surprise, "Thank you Aro," I said formally.

"I know you'll take good care of her Edward," Marcus said softly, "I can see the relationship bond between you and it is incredibly bright- the strongest bond I have ever seen between mates."

I nodded in acknowledgement. Caius was still chafing though, he had been looking forward to the chance to threaten me. "We want you to know Edward, that if you ever hurt Bella we will kill you. You've seen what Jane can do, and trust me, the pain we will make you feel if anything or anyone including yourself hurts her would be a hundred times worse than that." His threat was not idle.

"I understand sir," I replied respectfully. "Believe me, if anything were to happen to Bella, nothing you could do to me would ever surmount the pain of having her hurt." I knew I would never survive in a world without Bella- if she died I would welcome death, following her as soon as possible.

Caius read the sincerity in my words, "Good," he said, "I'm glad we understand each other."

"Yes, wonderful," said Aro, "Now you are planning on marrying Bella soon right?" he asked.

I was surprised, "Uh, Yes I was going to ask her soon," I rubbed the back of my neck, feeling awkward, I was about to ask how he knew when I realised that he would have seen it when he touched my hand.

"Good," Caius stated, "Don't wait too long, Bella is many things, but patient is not one of them."

I nodded in agreement; patience was definitely not one of Bella's strong points, but I wasn't sure if she wanted to get married so young- I did, but in this day and age most people would hate the idea of getting married so young. Then again, I reasoned, Bella defiantly wasn't like most people- thankfully. I figured that I wouldn't know until I tried. I hoped Bella wouldn't reject my proposal.

We wrapped up the discussion soon after as I was anxious to get back to Bella. "We can see how happy you make Bella, and we wish you all the best. Bella will certainly keep you on your toes- she'd full of surprises," Aro commented.

I laughed- I knew that. Bella was still constantly surprising me- she never did anything I expected, and since I couldn't read her mind unless she let me, I was constantly left wondering about the reasons behind most of her unpredictable actions.

Aro's last thoughts as I left the room caused me to turn around quickly. "Boy is he in for a surprise when Bella shows him the books she stole from my library," he thought, chuckling silently to himself. I looked at him curiously, but he shrugged, "She will tell you when the time is right."He purposely concentrated hard on a math's problem after that; refusing to give me any clues as to the books I had seen Bella discreetly pack away in one of her suitcases.

*Present time*

I momentarily considered checking them out now while she was asleep, but I thought better of it- I trusted Bella would tell me when the time was right.

Bella woke shortly before we arrived in Port Angeles. I kissed her forehead softly, "We're almost home love," I told her. She didn't answer, just turned and snuggled further into me, pressing her warm lips up against my cold neck in a soft kiss that warmed me.

When we touched down Bella hugged Santiago and Alec goodbye and the rest of us shook their hands. It was mid morning as I drove back to Forks with Bella. She was still groggy, so she had given her keys to Alice and Jasper and was in the passenger seat of the Volvo with me, while everyone else was in Carlisle's Mercedes.

Charlie wasn't expecting Bella home until tomorrow afternoon, which gave me a wonderful opportunity to spend more time with her.

We finally reached the end of our long driveway when I was stopped by the sight of an unfamiliar car and motorbike parked beside the house. I searched out, but couldn't hear the thoughts of anyone besides my family, who were following us. I got out, confused, and went over to the cars. Bella joined me.

BPOV

I watched in amusement as Edward slowly looked over the bright yellow Porsche and silver Ducati sitting in the Cullen's driveway.

Suddenly Alice came speeding up in my car, screeching to a stop before getting out and throwing herself at me. "Thank you, thank you, thank you," She chanted, hugging me and bouncing around excitedly.

I grinned, "You're welcome Alice. I hope you like the colour."

"I love it!" she squealed, "I can't believe you got me a yellow Porsche and I didn't see it until we entered the driveway!" I felt pretty proud of myself for managing to use the time Alice was distracted with the Volturi to get her present delivered.

By this time the rest of the Cullens had arrived and were eying the two new vehicles appreciatively.

I grinned at them, "Jasper, the motor bike is yours," I indicated it with a nod.

He smiled, and we were all suddenly hit with a wave of gratitude and happiness which left us all grinning like fools. He hugged me, and I was happy that since my little demonstration of power he was no longer so afraid of hurting me. "Thank you darlin'" he drawled.

"Now come on guys, I have presents for the rest of you too," I promised, urging them inside. The guys all quickly unloaded the suitcases from the cars and took them at vampire speed up to the rooms before converging on us females in the lounge, where we were waiting impatiently.

Once they were all settled I wrapped my shield around the large wrapped painting sitting in the corner and brought it forward until it was hovering in front of Carlisle and Esme. I gently placed it on the ground. "This is for you guys," I said softly. I snuggled back into Edward's arms as I watched Carlisle and Esme unwrap the huge paining.

Esme gasped with awe as she took in the picture. "Oh Bella it's beautiful! Thank you," she said, giving me a hug before turning back to stare at her painting.

Carlisle also looked impressed and pleased. "Thank you Bella, it's stunning," he said appreciatively.

I smiled, then turned and levitated the small wrapped package sitting on the coffee table over to Rose, dropping it softly in her lap. She opened it, gasping in awe as she took in the priceless jewellery- rubies set in 24 ct gold. A matching necklace and earring set. She looked up at me, gratitude all over her face, "Bella, thank you so much, this is unbelievably beautiful." I just grinned, I was glad everyone liked their gifts so far.

It was Emmett's turn and as I led them towards the games room Emmett started getting excited. "Is it my turn yet Bella?" he exclaimed impatiently.

I rolled my eyes, "Yes Emmett, here it is," I said, opening the door to the games room so that he could see his new gaming system.

He let out a whoop, "Awesome!" he yelled. He ran to me and picked me up, twirling me around at an insanely fast pace. "You're the best Bella!" he said, tossing me joyously up in the air.

Thankfully I had shielded myself before Emmett picked me up; knowing his tendency to accidently squeeze too hard with his exuberance. Unsurprisingly, he threw me too hard and I ended up crashing through the ceiling and onto the second floor- into Carlisle's study. I managed to catch myself before I went through the ceiling of that room as well and onto the third floor, and I levitated myself back through the hole and to the ground. "Emmett, you idiot! Not so hard next time," I scolded him.

Rosalie reached out and whacked the back of his head, "Fool," she muttered.

Esme just sighed in acceptance- from the stories I'd heard, this wasn't the first time Emmett had destroyed things in the house. "Emmett, you know where the repair materials are kept," she reminded him mildly.

Emmett kept an appropriately abashed look on his face, though his eyes were still dancing with amusement. "Yes mum," he sighed, "Thanks for the awesome present Bella," he said before turning and heading out to the garage.

Carlisle did not look impressed with the recent renovations to the floor of his study. He sighed with exasperation.

"Well," I said, breaking the silence, "Edward, your presents are in your room, I wanted to show them to you alone," I hinted. The others discreetly left the room.

When they were gone I turned and leaned into him, reaching up on my tip toes for a soft kiss. "Come on," I murmured, "Let's go."

I took his hand and led him up the stairs. He cocked an eyebrow at me, "Presents?" he asked. I nodded, then paused hesitantly outside his door and prayed that he'd like it. I opened the door and stood back, letting him enter first, then following him in and shutting the door quietly behind me.

Edward silently took in the large framed photo of us that hung on his wall, and then turned to me. His eyes were full of warmth, happiness and love. "I love it," he said softly, "Thank you love."

I smiled up at him and kissed him sweetly, "You're welcome, I love you," I murmured. Then I backed up and reached for the small gift I had left on top of his bedside table. "Um," I began nervously, "This gift is probably more for me than you," I admitted, slightly embarrassed. I handed it to him.

His eyes were alight with curiosity as he sat on the bed and unwrapped his second gift. I sat next to him and watched. He opened the box to find a leather cuff. Embedded in the leather was a platinum swan, and on one side, stamped into the leather, was the imprint of the Cullen Crest. On the other was my personal symbol as princess of the Volturi. He looked at me and smiled, immediately understanding. "Are you claiming me Bella?" he asked, amusement and a bit of pride and smugness in his voice.

I nodded, "I know it seems a little archaic in some ways, but I want every vampire who looks at you to know that you're mine- and the Princess of Volterra does not share," I informed him. Just wait until I get a wedding ring on him as well so that humans know he's mine as well, I thought to myself.

He grinned and put it on, "I think it's great love, I love how possessive you are of me," he informed me, pulling me closer and wrapping his arms around me. "Now why don't you tell me why you suddenly felt the need to give us all presents?" he enquired.

I shrugged, "You guys have done so much for me, and I really wanted to give you at least something little in return," I explained. "Besides, you mentioned that you guys don't really celebrate birthdays anymore, but I know you're planning to have a party for me, so I thought I'd get you guys presents as well, since you don't want to celebrate your birthdays."

He grinned at my logic, "That's very generous of you love," he said. "Trust me, they all loved their gifts, you're defiantly excellent at picking out gifts." I smiled, very satisfied with my gift giving. It always made me happy when people loved the gifts I gave them, and I always made a point to pick out things that I thought they would love.

We stayed up in his room for a while, happy to be spending some alone time together after being around so many others in Volterra. Eventually though, we reluctantly got up and helped each other unpack our suitcases. Alice of course came and helped me with mine since it was her fault that I had to bring back so much stuff. Thankfully though, with Alice and Edward working the contents of my suitcases were all soon packed neatly away. I made sure that the suitcase I chose to leave unpacked to take back with me when I went home tomorrow was the one with the books I had pilfered from Aro.

We went downstairs and I had lunch before heading out with Rose and Alice to test drive Alice's new Porsche. Jasper of course rode beside us, trying out the limits of his Ducati; a euphoric smile graced his face as the wind whipped through his hair. Once we got far enough away from town that there was no chance of running into police- it would be really awkward if we ran into Charlie today when I was still supposed to be in Volterra, Jasper and Alice really let loose. They raced against each other, whipping in and out of the sparse traffic and egging each other on. I sat in the back, content, and enjoying the speed as Rose and I watched them in amusement.

Eventually though Alice called a stop and we turned around after she saw that Jasper would win. On the way back Alice made sure Rose understood that she needed her to modify the car until it was much faster than Jasper's bike- she hated loosing. Rose just chuckled and agreed, happy that she had yet another car to work on.

When we got back to the house I immediately noticed that the painting I had given Esme and Carlisle now hung proudly on the wall in the living room. I smiled at that and went to find Edward.

I found him watching Emmett, and helping him try out his new gaming system. I settled down with them, sometimes playing, other times content to watch the two brothers fight it out, arguing as any humans would.

Suddenly though, while they were playing a shootout game, Edward froze, looking distracted. Emmett took the opportunity and killed him," Yeah! I killed you!" he yelled victoriously.

Edward just frowned and looked worried; we could tell that his attention was no longer on the game. "What is it?" I asked curiously.

"Alice had a vision," he said grimly, "The Denali coven is in the area and has decided to visit. They'll be here in a couple of hours." Emmett's jubilant expression turned serious; an odd look on his usually cheerful face.

Without another word we all traipsed into the living area where Alice was informing the others. "Well," Carlisle sighed, "This could create some problems."


	33. Visitors and Vindictiveness

BPOV

Previously "Alice had a vision," he said grimly, "The Denali coven is in the area and has decided to visit. They'll be here in a couple of hours." Emmett's jubilant expression turned serious; an odd look on his usually cheerful face.

Without another word we all traipsed into the living area where Alice was informing the others. "Well," Carlisle sighed, "This could create some problems."

I looked at them, confused. "Why would it be a problem, aren't they your friends?" I asked.

Emmett snickered and Edward aimed a soft growl at him. "We are Bella," Emmett explained, a mischievous grin on his face, "But Tanya's been trying to seduce Edward for decades - he's always rejected her of course, but she still hasn't stopped trying."

I let out an involuntary snarl which caused everyone to laugh at me. I shrugged, "Well he's mine, and if she tries anything I'll just have to show her who's boss," I stated calmly. There was no way I was going to let another vampire try to steal my Edward.

Emmett was now sporting a full blown grin. "This is going to be awesome! I can't wait to see what happens when Tanya gets all bitchy and you take her down!"

I rolled my eyes. "I'm not going to take her down for being bitchy Emmett." His face dropped, "But I will hurt her if she tries anything with Edward," I assured him.

"Yes!" Emmett whooped, "BITCH FIGHT!"

We all rolled our eyes. Carlisle cleared his throat and we all quietened down and paid attention to him. "Tanya aside, I'm sure I mentioned to you while we were in Volterra Bella that Irina was quite attached to Laurent." Realisation dawned on me as I nodded. I had killed Laurent- if anyone had killed Edward I would want revenge. Irina was not going to like me one bit.

Beside me Edward tensed. "I won't let her hurt you Bella."

I scoffed, "Please Edward, she can't hurt me."

Edward sighed, "I know, but I can't help my protective instincts love- you know that."

I smiled softly at him. "I know. Anyway, Uncle Aro likes and trusts Eleazer, and by extension his family, so it's okay for me to tell them who I am- although the likelihood of them actually believing I'm the Volturi Princess at first isn't high," I said wryly.

Carlisle frowned, "You will have to stress that they can't tell anyone though?"

I nodded, "Yes, but from what I understand they would be unlikely to tell anyone anyway- it's not like they run into vampires a lot."

"No they don't," Carlisle confirmed, "And even if they did the likelihood of them mentioning the Volturi in casual conversation isn't very high."

"Good."

"Well, at the moment they haven't made any decisions other than to drop in for a short visit," Alice announced, "They are planning to ask us whether Laurent has passed by here- Irina's worried, and she's dragged everyone along with her to find him."

I winced, "Well she'll find him alright," I muttered, wondering how I would feel if I were in her place. I was very thankful that the vampire I had fallen for was Edward- who would never leave me to help another vampire hunt down a human girl.

We all settled and watched the TV in subdued silence as we waited for them to arrive.

After about half an hour Alice's eyes glazed over for a second. We all waited impatiently for news, Jasper flooding the room with calmness in an effort to restrain our anxiousness. "They'll be here in five minutes," Alice announced as she broke out of her haze.

Those five minutes passed slowly, I cast out my shield, automatically shielding everyone in the family both mentally and physically. This time though I stretched my personal mental shield around everyone so that Edward would still be able to hear his family's thoughts, as well as my own. I didn't know what talents the three succubi sisters had, if any, but I figured it was best to keep my family safe.

Of course, Edward loved the fact that I was letting him into my mind. He grinned at me. I rolled my eyes, Don't get used to this Edward, I like my privacy," I thought to him. He sighed, but nodded resignedly. I stretched a separate shield out, feeling are the end of my range. I soon felt the five vampires enter it, heading a medium run towards the house.

Through my mind Edward could monitor them with me. "Wow," He muttered, "Now I can really see what you meant about being able to feel people with your shield."

The other Cullens looked intrigued. "Bella can feel them getting closer; she knows exactly where they are using her gift," he informed them.

It seemed that they had finally gotten used to the idea that my shields could do almost anything. Jasper winked, "That's our Princess," he drawled. The others chuckled lightly, but there was a nervous edge to it.

Finally Alice got up and waltzed to the door; opening it just as the vampires reached the top step of the porch. "Hi guys, it's good to see you again- although we weren't expecting a visit so soon." No, we certainly hadn't.

Alice stepped back and allowed them inside. "Hi Alice, Irina dragged us out here since Laurent seems to have gone missing, and while we were in the neighbourhood we thought we'd stop by. How's Edward? Has he gotten over his little human pet yet?" I snarled in my thoughts at that and Edward hugged me closer to him.

The voice was female with a seductive quality. As she finished speaking she stepped into view. She was a strawberry blonde vampire- quite pretty, but nowhere near Rosalie in the looks department.

Edward chuckled softly at my assessment. The other four vampires came in after her. Her two sisters were also pretty, but they also had nothing on Rosalie- or Alice and Esme for that matter. Behind them was an older couple- a Spanish looking woman who I took to be Carmen, and a male- Eleazer.

We all stood to greet them. I saw Tanya's eyes look me over critically, and beside me Edward tensed- obviously Tanya's thoughts about me weren't favourable ones. I stared confidently back at her and cocked an eyebrow. He's mine, I thought, lightly tracing over the cuff Edward was wearing on his wrist. Edward smiled at me, a hint of amusement in his eyes.

"Hello again Eleazer, Carmen, Kate, Irina and Tanya, it's good to see you again," Carlisle greeted them politely and Esme did the same.

Emmett was looking back and forth from me to Tanya, a hopeful look on his face. Carlisle and Esme continued to exchange pleasantries with Eleazer and Carmen while the three sisters eyed me speculatively.

Tanya's face turned up in a sneer. "You must be Bella; the human he's so enchanted by- although I can't see why." She looked me up and down with disgust before turning to Edward, "Well Edward, when you get bored of this little distraction you know where to find me."

Edward tensed and opened his mouth, but I placed a hand on his arm reassuringly. No Edward, obviously your polite attempts at turning her down have had no effect. It's my turn. He shut his mouth and relaxed slightly.

I stepped forward, towards Tanya, holding her gaze with my own and letting her know that I was in no way afraid of her, nor was I a meek little creature that could be pushed around. Tanya's eyes flashed with surprise before turning cold again. I didn't need to be Jasper to feel jealously and hostility rolling off her.

"Tanya, it's nice to finally meet you. I've heard so much about you," I said in a sickly sweet tone. Then my voice turned cold. "I think it's about time that you got a few things straight in your head succubi. Edward is mine. We are mates. Our souls are irrevocably intertwined and we love each other. Neither of us will leave the other, especially not for the likes of you." Out of the corner of my eye I could see a big grin spreading across Emmett's face as my words got more venomous. Incredulity was on the faces of the Denali coven, although Tanya's also held anger.

She glared at me, but I just glared back. "Remember your place human," she sneered at me, "I could kill you with a flick of my wrist. You should learn not to antagonise those stronger than you." The entire Cullen family, even Esme, were now glaring at Tanya due to her threat.

I chuckled. "I'm not scared of you Tanya, in fact it's almost laughable that you think threatening me would make me leave Edward. It's also incredibly stupid of you to think that if I wasn't here he would run to you- from what I hear he was rejecting you long before I showed up." Emmett looked positively jubilant. Alice, Jasper and Rosalie looked amused.

She snarled at me, her eyes now blazing with fury. Her sisters looked concerned, but made no move to calm her down. I snarled back at her, secretly pleased that the chances were high that I would have an opportunity to hurt this annoying vampire.

Sure enough, my snarl provoked her. Her eyes flashed with anger and she leapt towards me. I pushed out a shield, stretching it in a dome that covered us and reached out a few metres in front of us. Tanya slammed into it hard and was thrown back into her sisters.

The blow knocked some of the fury out of her, and while her eyes still showed how mad she was she didn't immediately try again. Instead the five Denali vampires looked at me with shocked expressions- something I had been getting used to of late.

"Tanya, you would do much better if you stopped to find out what you are facing instead of getting mad and charging at me," I said smirking at her. "I am not a weak human, and you cannot hurt me, so get over your stupid and unwanted crush on Edward because he will never be yours." My voice was menacing at the end and everyone could hear the treat in my voice.

Tanya tried to maintain a shred of dignity. "This isn't over," she said in a soft, but determined voice. It was so low that I wasn't meant to hear it.

I held her gaze, "Yes it is," I said and I continued glaring at her until she looked away, shock in her expression.

"Amazing," Eleazer spoke up, looking at me with interest, "I've never met a human who could control a gift like that. I'm guessing you have a shield of some sort since I can't feel you with my gift," he continued, his eyes piercing. I nodded, but refused to get into details with him.

Carlisle cut in tactfully, "Everyone, I would like to formally introduce you to our newest family member," he said, stressing the word family so that they understood that I was a permanent fixture, not a temporary distraction. "This is Bella Swan."

Kate stepped forward first, confidence in her stride. Beside me Edward tensed, then smirked. "Bella, it's nice to meet you, the Cullen's have told us a lot about you," she said politely. "I'm Kate."

I took her proffered hand and shook it lightly. "It's nice to meet you too Kate, I've heard a lot about you and your family too." I watched with interest as her confident expression turned into a confused frown.

Beside me Edward grinned. "Your gift won't work on her Kate, her shield is much too strong for that."

I arched an eyebrow at her and she had the good grace to look sheepish. "Sorry," she apologised, "But I had to test out your shield. I can zap people by touching them."

I shrugged my shoulders, "I understand, you're certainly not the first person to try out your gift on me."

The others greeted me, but felt no need to close the careful distance between us.

Finally Eleazer got to the point of their visit- something I had not been looking forward to. "We came this way looking for Laurent," he explained. "We haven't seen him in a few weeks, has he passed by here by any chance?"

I winced. Despite the fact that Laurent had tried to eat me, I still felt sorry for Irina- this was going to be hard for her to accept the truth. "Yes, I'm afraid Bella had a run-in with Laurent while the rest of us were visiting you in Alaska," Carlisle admitted. There was compassion in his eyes as he looked at Irina.

It was my turn to say something. As the Volturi Princess I had been taught (although I'd never had to put it into action before) how to inform vampires of another's death, since the Volturi were often responsible for killing vampires who did the wrong thing.

"I'm sorry to inform you that as Laurent threatened my life I felt the need to defend myself by killing him," I informed them, watching sadly as the last shreds of hope vanished from Irina's face.

"No!" she shrieked, "He can't be!" She sobbed silently and her sisters converged around her, rubbing her back and soothing her slightly. Eleazer and Carmen looked sad, but resigned- I had obviously confirmed their suspicions that he was already dead.

I remained silent, waiting for it to sink in. After a few moments Irina composed herself. She straightened up and turned to me, determination in her eyes. She wanted retribution. "You're lying," she accused me. "Laurent was doing just fine on our vegetarian diet! He just had to visit an old friend again and then he was coming back to me. You killed him for no good reason- he didn't drink human blood anymore."

"I'm afraid that you are wrong. Laurent met with his friend- Victoria and was doing her a favour by finding out whether there was any way for Victoria to get to me and kill me. However, he was hungry, and he decided that I would make a nice snack. I warned him a couple of times that I would kill him if he tried to eat me, but he didn't listen. I even let him try to bite me before I killed him," I explained, although I knew in reality it was useless. He was her mate, and although she hadn't known him for long she loved him and didn't want to hear about his faults.

She glared at me. "Judging by your shield, I may not be able to harm you. But I will go to the Volturi and tell them about you. Let's see how happy you are when they kill not only you, but your precious mate as well," she sneered at me.

I swallowed my laugh; knowing it would only make her angrier, but Edward smirked. Emmet and Jasper chuckled; earning them glares from Esme and Carlisle, and curious glances from Eleazer and Carlisle. Tanya and Kate stood with their sister; their stances telling me that they would back their sister 100%.

"Look," I said, "If I hadn't killed Laurent when I did, the werewolves of La Push would have anyway since they showed up afterwards- there was no way you were getting him back alive." She growled at me, "And threatening me with the Volturi really doesn't scare me. In fact, go ahead, I'd love to see you try," I felt slightly guilty for issuing such a challenge since my Volturi family would probably threaten her, and possibly hurt her for wanting to kill me.

This time it was Tanya that growled. "You'll regret this human when the Volturi show up to kill you- they are invincible. I'll have to request that they leave Edward alive; it would be such a waste for him to die along with you when he could be with me," she sneered.

That really annoyed me. I snarled at her, and Edward's hand came up to my shoulder to help calm me. The platinum swan on his cuff glinted in the light and Eleazer's eyes suddenly zeroed in on the seals stamped into it. "What's the second seal on your cuff Edward," he asked suspiciously. "The first one is the Cullen Crest, and the swan is obviously for Bella, but the other seal almost looks Volterran in design- like something Felix would create.

Edward looked at me, silently asking whether it was okay to tell them the truth. It's fine Edward, go ahead, I reassured him.

"It's the personal symbol of the Volturi Princess," he announced, holding out his wrist so that Eleazer would see it better. All five Denali vampire's jaws dropped in shock, even Irina momentarily forgot her fury as their eyes took in the seal. The Cullen's looked on, somewhat smug looks adorning their faces. While in Volterra they had seen my personal crest a number of times.

"Have you met the elusive princess?" Eleazer asked, a shocked look on his face.

Edward smiled, "Indeed I have, in fact we all have," he said, motioning to myself and the rest of the Cullens. "She is the one who gave me this cuff," he informed Eleazer, a proud note in his voice.

Eleazer's eyebrows lifted slightly, "If I didn't know better I'd think she was claiming you," he observed, confusion now in his features.

"She is," Edward admitted, smiling in amusement.

Eleazer frowned, "But you said your mate is Bella." He stated.

"Exactly," I spoke up. "I'm afraid when Carlisle introduced me only used the shortened version of my name. My full name is Bella Marie Swan Volturi, or, as I'm sure you've heard, the Volturi Princess."

The five vampires froze. They remained completely still as Emmett's laughter burst forth. It was no surprise that Emmett found their reaction amusing.

Surprisingly, Carmen was the first to recover. "It is a pleasure to meet you Princess," she said softly, "Although I must admit that it is quite a shock- we were led to believe that the Volturi Princess was a vampire."

I smiled, "Yes, I'm afraid that was purposely done- we did not wish for people to believe the Volturi was weak for having a human in the family, and I will be a vampire soon enough."

Then I turned to Tanya and her sisters, "I'm afraid Laurent signed his death certificate when he threatened to eat me. If I hadn't killed him then my guards Felix and Demetri would have tracked him down and disposed of him instead- and nothing would have been able to save Laurent. There would have been no place he could hide where Demetri couldn't find him." They had no doubt heard about Demetri's extraordinary tracking talent- it was well known in the vampire world, and often feared. My tone was severe and the warning in my voice was obvious. I hoped that they would get the message- if they even thought about hurting me my guards would be after them.

The three sisters glared at me, so I continued. "But please, you are by all means welcome to go to the Volturi and tell them about your encounter with me- I'm sure my family would love to see you," the dark tone in my voice left no doubt of what would happen if they ever mentioned their encounter with me.

There was silence for a moment before Eleazer broke it. "Well it was lovely seeing you all again and meeting you Bella, but I'm afraid we can't stay longer. I believe it would be best if we went back to Alaska. Thank you for informing us of Laurent's demise." With that said he ushered everyone out the door.

Once they were outside of mine and Edward's range I retracted my shields and sighed, melting into Edward's comforting embrace. While I was annoyed at Irina for threatening me, I was also incredibly sorry for her loss.

Emmett of course, knew exactly how to brighten the mood. "Damn Bella," he stated, "It's times like these I wish I could eat a large bowl of popcorn without having to throw it up later. Having you around is the best entertainment ever! I wish I'd had the video camera recording when she lunged for you and bounced back into her sisters." His laughter was contagious, and we were soon all laughing as we relived that scene.


	34. Biloxi, Begging and Birthday Plans

BPOV

The last few weeks of the holidays passed quickly. I spent the majority of my days with the Cullen's, but I still enjoyed spending my evenings getting to know Charlie better. It was nice to catch up on all the time we had missed during my childhood when I only saw him for a couple of weeks a year.

Alice and Jasper took a trip to Biloxi to find out what they could about Alice's past, so I spent most of my time with Edward, or bonding with Rose and Emmett over cars and video games. While I missed Alice and Jasper a lot, I had to admit that I was secretly enjoying the relaxation after coping with Alice's energetic attitude for so long. It was nice to just kick back and relax with Edward without having to worry about Alice barging in and grabbing me because she'd thought of something fun for us to do.

As the start of school got closer I was a little depressed to realise that Emmett, Jazz and Rose wouldn't be with us this year since they had all recently graduated again. Edward and Alice would be with me- which made things better, but I knew it was going to feel like half of us were missing. I stooped so low as to beg Emmett to reenrol and repeat senior year with me. "Please Emmett, It's not going to be nearly as fun without you. Just reenrol- you know it's more fun than spending your time here playing games with Jasper," I begged.

He chuckled at me, "Sorry Bells, but I think it'd look a little suspicious if I re-enrolled since I had perfect grades when I graduated."

I crossed my arms and pouted, "Well that's hard to believe seeing the way you act sometimes," I grumbled.

Beside me Edward chuckled, "You could enrol in kindergarten with the four year olds and apart from your size nobody would be any wiser Em."

Emmett huffed at us. "Besides Bella, just think- with all the free time I'll have I can plan out much more elaborate pranks to play on you," he grinned at me mischievously.

I rolled my eyes, temporarily distracted from my original quest, "Please Emmett, even if you had all the time in the world there's no way you'll ever manage to trick me."

Carlisle, who had arrived home from the hospital just in time to hear our conversation sighed, "Eternity with the pair of you is going to be very long," he muttered, "What did I do to deserve two pranksters?"

Emmett and I turned and gave him large, identical grins, "You're just a sucker for a pretty face Carlisle," I answered. He simply sighed again and went to find Esme.

"Seriously though Emmett, what are you going to do with yourselves while the rest of us are at school?" I asked.

He grinned, "Well I was thinking of taking Rose to Africa for a few weeks- our 23rd honeymoon."

I smiled, "That sounds great," I said, mentally starting to wonder where Edward and I would go for our honeymoon. "Which part?" I asked.

That started us on a long conversation which Edward and Rose joined about our favourite African countries. Of course, Emmett was eager to hunt down a lion- something I scolded him for since they are endangered. He looked appropriately abashed and promised not to hurt it as long as he was allowed to fight it for a little bit. We all sighed and rolled our eyes at that. Emmett would never change.

"Oh and don't worry Bella, we'll be back in plenty of time for your birthday party," Emmett assured me.

I groaned, "Don't remind me." Alice was incredibly excited about my birthday and had taken it upon herself to plan me a party. At first she had wanted to go far overboard, and had planned to invite the whole school to it, but I had quickly shot down that plan and refused to let her do anything at all unless it was only the Cullen family and I. After muttering about how ungrateful I was and how all her efforts would be ruined she eventually agreed. I was under no illusions though- I knew Alice would be planning on a grand party even if it was only going to be the eight of us.

Emmett chuckled and all of the Cullens seemed to brighten up at the mention of my birthday. It seemed that they were incredibly excited- according to Edward they hadn't had a proper birthday for anyone in over 40 years. Judging by the looks on their faces I was willing to bet that they had all gone overboard with presents for me too.

That night as I waited for Edward to arrive I found myself thinking in more depth about the possibilities for Edward and I on our honeymoon. Since Edward hadn't even brought up marriage yet I had no way of knowing whether he expected me to be changed before our honeymoon, or not- although I was absolutely certain that I would still be human for my wedding and honeymoon.

I moved passed those thoughts and dwelled on the possible locations for our honeymoon. I was wondering whether we could go somewhere warm and tropical, yet secluded enough that nobody would be around to disturb us or notice Edward's sparkling skin, when Alice called. "Don't worry Bella, Edward's got the perfect location in mind but it's a secret- you're going to love it." My spirits lifted at the thought, although I was a bit disgruntled about the secret part.

"He knows I hate surprises," I grumbled. Then another thought hit me, "So that means he's thought about proposing then?" I asked hopefully.

"Yep," Alice answered. My spirits lifted at the thought.

"Any idea when?"

"Nope, sorry, he hasn't set a date yet," she apologised.

I sighed, "Well you'd better start planning the wedding and procuring my wedding dress and yours and Rose's bridesmaid dresses for after graduation next year Alice, because if he doesn't propose to me soon, I'll propose to him." I said determinedly. "In fact, if I have to I'll have Jazz and Emmett hold him at the head of the aisle and force him to say 'I do,'" I decided.

In the background I heard Jasper chuckle, "Go for it Darlin'," he said.

Alice was so pleased at the opportunity to plan the wedding that we spent the rest of the time until Edward had to arrive deciding on a theme. Finally we decided on a 1918 theme and then I had to go because Alice informed me that Edward was heading over.

The days passed quite quickly and I received regular calls from Volterra and also from Alice, who rang every morning to direct me on my wardrobe choices. On the nights I went out on dates with Edward we video conferenced while I modelled outfits for her until she picked the right one.

Edward took me on a lot of dates- mainly at fancy restaurants in Seattle after visiting plays, museums, and galleries. I loved every second of it.

The week before school started again I came home one afternoon to find Charlie already home from work. "Hi dad," I greeted him.

The confusion on my face at his early arrival must have been evident, "Hey Bells, we're going over to the Black's place tonight for dinner and to watch the big game- you can hang out with Jake and his mates for a few hours- get to know a bit more about the tribe. I know you used to be really interested in mythology, and the tribe has some legends that I'm sure you'd find interesting."

I forced a smile. Oh goody, hanging out with the pack- not my favourite way to spend the night. "Sure dad, sounds like fun."

After calling Edward to let him know where I was going so that he wouldn't get worried, I hopped in the car with Charlie and we made our way down to La Push. Something told me Jacob and the rest of the pack would not be happy to see me.

Soon after, we pulled up at the Black's house. Jacob answered the door, "Hey Charlie," he greeted him enthusiastically as he let us in. However, once Charlie was inside and chatting enthusiastically with Billy Jacob levelled a hard glare at me. "Just to be clear Bella, since you are with the leeches, you can't come here unless it's with Charlie, understood?"

I smirked at him, "Don't worry, I have no intentions of coming here- I've never really liked dogs."

He just glared at me. Dinner was tenser than normal, since Jake hard a scowl on his face and Billy alternated between giving me worried and disbelieving glances. It was obvious that he knew about my little run-in with the wolves and how I had stopped Jacob midair.

Personally I thought they should be apologetic if anything. If I had been a normal human that Jacob had lunged at I would have been killed. The wolves were meant to protect the humans of Forks, not kill them.

After dinner I ended up having to tag along with Jake as we walked to Sam's house. I met Emily, who was kind in spite of our differences in allegiance. I was shocked when I first saw her face though- it was obvious to me what kind of supernatural creature had caused the claw marks that disfigured half of her face. Apparently werewolves were much more volatile than I had first thought.

I spent the next few hours in virtual silence with Sam, Jacob and Embry all staring at me warily while I talked politely with Emily.

It was a big relief when the game finally ended and Charlie and I drove home. I resolved that next time I would have to make an excuse not to go- I didn't want to go through that again.

The last of the holidays went by peacefully, with Alice arriving back the day before school started with Jasper in tow and (surprise surprise) a lot of shopping bags which held clothing for everyone in the family.

School started up again and I was annoyed on the first day by all the glares I was receiving. The main culprits were Jessica and Lauren. I simply glared back at them until they broke eye contact and turned away. Edward informed me that apparently they had hoped that Edward and I would break up over the summer and that Edward- who was obviously more into dating now, would ask one of them out. I secretly resolved to get my ring on his finger soon.

It soon became apparent that Mike Newton was more hopeful of gaining my affections this year with Emmett and Jasper out of the picture. I often caught Edward glaring venomously at Mike, and it didn't take a genius to figure out that what he was thinking wasn't exactly complimentary.

It seemed that Eric had finally grown a backbone, I was in English, sitting comfortably next to Edward, who was running his fingers lightly through my hair when I was surprised. I watched confused as Eric entered the classroom, locking his eyes on me and striding comfortably over to my desk. Beside me I felt Edward tense.

Eric finally reached us. He smiled, "Hi Bella," he said; his stutter was gone and he completely ignored Edward.

I felt a slight sense of dread; I didn't like where this was going. I smiled politely, "Hi Eric, how was your holidays?"

"They were great Bella, I spent some time in Virginia with my cousins."

I kept a polite smile on my face, wondering where he was going with this, "That's great Eric, Edward and I went to Italy." I hoped that this would deter him a bit, and sure enough his face fell slightly. I was just about to start congratulating myself when a look of determination crossed his features.

"Bella, I was wandering whether you would like to go to dinner with me sometime this week?"

Edward's hands clenched into fists. I tried to be diplomatic as I let him down, all the while wondering why he would try to ask me out when it was obvious that Edward and I were very much a couple. Hopefully Edward would get up the courage to propose soon and a nice shiny ring on my finger would stop guys from trying anything with me. "Sorry Eric, but I'm with Edward, and I'm not interested in being with anyone else- ever," I said firmly.

His face fell slightly, "Well, that's okay, but if you ever change your mind I'll be here," he said before walking off to take his seat on the other side of the classroom.

Edward relaxed slightly, "Well handled love," he whispered, brushing my hair back from my face.

The rest of the day went by faster after that, and that night we bid a sad farewell to Emmett and Rose, who were heading to Africa. I was going to miss them. I secretly resolved to play a prank on Emmett when he got back- just to show how much I missed him of course.

When they were gone Alice cornered me. "Now Bella, you need to help me plan your birthday party!"

I sighed, resigned to hear of nothing else for the next few weeks.


	35. Parties

BPOV

As my eighteenth birthday grew closer Alice became more excited every day, bouncing her way through school and turning up in the middle of the night to run a new idea past me. Edward often had to scold her for waking me up, and was growing concerned that I wasn't getting enough sleep at night. Eventually, I gave up on trying to curb Alice's enthusiasm, and I agreed to forgo my vetos and let Alice do whatever she wanted for my party so that I could get a good night's sleep and Edward could stop worrying.

School had stayed relatively monotonous- just as I had predicted. Without Emmett to laugh at it was just boring, although Alice and Edward made school bearable. The work was ridiculously easy- something I was often grateful for since having Edward in all of my classes was a major distraction. Sometimes I spent the whole lessen ogling my personal Greek god and wondering at my good fortune. Of course Edward often caught me, and his crooked grin would set my heart ablaze, giving away my adoration by its audibly unsteady beat. I managed to make it through the monotonous school days by daydreaming about Edward and our life together, and all the possibilities our future held- many of which Edward would never have dreamed of.

Emmett and Rose arrived back from their trip to Africa a few days before my birthday, and my prank was put into action perfectly. We were all waiting impatiently in the house for them to arrive, and at my feet lay a huge bag. Edward had been wondering what was in it since I arrived a few hours earlier, but I had refused to tell him, and Alice had obviously blocked him- the mischievous grin on her face letting me know that she knew my plan.

Finally we heard Rose's car pull up in front of the house and two car doors open and close. I started smiling and used a shield to hold my bag up in the air where I could reach it. I unzipped the bag as I heard them reach the front steps.

Sure enough, as I had planned, Rosalie came in first and I quickly wrapped a shield around her and moved her a few metres inside and to the left. I ignored her surprised squeaks and protests as I focussed on my prey. Emmett stepped through the door, and stopped in surprise as he watched his wife fly quickly through the air. I grabbed one of the items in my bag, and threw it hard at Emmett. The water balloon filled with a sludgy mixture of flour, water and my own personal favourite addition- garlic powder, splattered all over Emmett's hair and face. The shocked and disgusted look on his face was comical as I continued to pelt him with the sludge filled water balloons.

Alice quickly stepped up beside me and joined in, and once they processed what was happening, Jasper and Edward joined in too; matching smiles adorning our faces. Rose took a little longer to get over her surprise, but by the time I had thrown my fifth balloon she had also started pelting her husband.

Emmett stood there silently, taking all the shots with a disgusted look on his face, and when we were finally out of ammo he stalked towards me, dripping all over with the strong smelling sludge. I grinned at him, "Just had to make sure that vampires being allergic to garlic was a myth," I smirked. I knew how bad it would smell to Emmett since I had done the same thing to Felix and Demetri years ago. Apparently the horrible smell would take about a week to fully dissipate from Emmett.

He gave me a menacing glare, "I will get you back for this squirt," he threatened. Unfortunately for him, he didn't look remotely scary as sludge dripped down his face and we all laughed as he stomped upstairs to take a shower.

"Don't worry Emmett!" I called up the stairs, "The smell will be out in about a week." I burst out laughing and everyone downstairs joined in as Emmett grumbled to himself.

Alice snickered, "He's going to hate the smell of garlic for the next century now." I grinned in triumph and we all chuckled.

He reappeared after a long, and very thorough, shower, within amused smile on his face, and while I knew he was already planning retribution, I also knew that he could see the funny side of my little prank. He and Rose told us about their trip, and Emmett even gave me a thin braid of hair that he had plucked from the mane of a lion he had fought- he proudly assured me that he hadn't hurt or killed it.

For the rest of the week I spent every spare second at the Cullen's house eagerly gleaning every detail of the places Emmett and Rose had travelled to out of the pair. Edward noticed my interest and sweetly promised to take me on our own trip in the future.

The day of my eighteenth birthday quickly arrived. I happily woke up in Edward's arms and claimed my first birthday kiss for the day before getting ready for school. At school everyone wished me a happy birthday- some more genuine than others, and Angela and Ben even gave me a lovely card.

Alice had managed to go with my wishes, and had left her present for me at home for me to see when I came over that evening for my party, although I had strong suspicions that the only reason she hadn't brought my present to school was because it wouldn't fit- Alice wasn't the type to buy small presents.

The day passed quickly and I found myself quite excited, knowing that I would soon see Alice's handiwork. Edward came back to my house for a few hours after school so that Alice could finish preparing everything. We killed some time by emailing my mum. I thanked her for the camera that she, Charlie and Phil all chipped in to buy me, and I rang my Volturi family to chat to them so that they could give me my customary birthday greetings.

Once Charlie had arrived home with pizza and we had eaten dinner he cheerfully waved Edward and I out the door and settled down to watch some sports.

We arrived at the Cullen house to find it brightly lit up. All along the porch and the front steps were littered with beautiful flower arrangements and the front door had a huge sign saying HAPPY BIRTHDAY BELLA! on it. Alice had clearly had the time of her life preparing for my party.

Edward and I slowly approached the house and as we reached the front door I could feel the waves of excitement, happiness and enthusiasm that Jasper was throwing around- probably excess from Alice and Emmett. We opened the door to find Emmett and Alice rushing towards me.

Just before they reached me Emmett managed to shove Alice away and he scooped me up into an exuberant hug. "Happy Birthday Bella!" he said exuberantly, spinning me in a circle before placing me back on the ground.

I laughed, "Thanks Em."

Alice quickly elbowed him out of the way, irritation at Emmett beating her clear in her expression. As she put her arms around me though, her scowl faded and was replaced by a beautiful smile, "So what do you think Bella? Do you like the decorations? Did you see the cake Emmett got for you?"

At the mention of cake I turned to look at the room. We were surrounded by flowers and balloons, and sitting on a side table was a monstrosity of a cake. It was a three tiered cake with blue icing. The top tier had 18 candles, and the bottom tier had the words "Happy Birthday Bella," written across it. It was a large enough cake to feed 50 guests, and since I was the only one who ate I was overwhelmed, although it did look delicious. Not wanting to hurt Emmett's feelings as I suspected that he had put a great deal of thought into my birthday cake, I turned and smiled at Alice and Emmett. "Thanks, guys, you're the best. That's the most awesome birthday cake I've ever had, and I love the balloons and flowers."

The faces of the entire family split into joyous grins. Of course, Alice couldn't stay quiet for too long, and she soon grabbed me, leading me further into the room. "We'll open your presents first, and you can have your cake after," she exclaimed happily.

Emmett immediately picked up a large wrapped box which was waist high on me and placed it down in front of me. "This one's from Rose and I." I smiled and tore into the wrapping. I opened the box eagerly, wondering what they had gotten me, but my smile soon turned to a frown as I saw that inside the box was another box. I took it out, and opened it, sure enough; there was another box inside this one too. I sent a glare towards Emmett, who was grinning gleefully, and continued to open the boxes, all of which had been stacked one inside another.

After 25 boxes I finally reached the last one and opened it, only to find that it was empty. I gritted my teeth in irritation as Emmett snickered. The others were all trying to hold in their laughter. "Thank you for the present Emmett," I said politely, "It's certainly one of the most interesting ones I've ever gotten." I pasted a pleased expression on my face.

That did it; they all stated roaring with laughter. I chuckled too; able to see the humour in this situation. When they finally calmed down Rose explained that she and Emmett had gotten sound systems for my two cars. "I've already installed one in your Maserati, and I'll put the other one in your 370z on the weekend," she assured me.

I hugged them both tight, "Thanks guys, that's an awesome present!" They looked pleased.

Esme and Carlisle came next, and handed me a deceptively simple envelope. I opened it and pulled out some paper. I quickly scanned it, and when it registered that I was holding plane tickets to Phoenix, I squealed in a very Alice-like manner and threw my arms around them. "Thank you so much! I can't wait to visit my mum again and let her meet Edward." They smiled happily at me and returned my hugs.

I turned to Edward, and smiled brightly at him, eagerly anticipating taking Edward to meet my vivacious mother; he smiled back, obviously happy that I was so excited.

Alice and Jasper were next, Alice dancing up to me and holding out a plain white envelope. I looked at it and curiously raised an eyebrow at Alice. "I've gotta say Alice, I'm surprised, I was sure you were going to get me a much larger gift than something that would fit in an envelope," I teased her. All seven Cullens smirked at me, making me even more curious about what was in the envelope.

I slid one finger the opening and lifted. My finger sliced against the paper and it stung, leaving a small paper cut on my finger. A drop of blood surfaced. And then it happened; the defence mechanism part of my shield instinctively activated itself. It was a feature that I hadn't used in nearly ten years and had all but forgotten about.

My shield instinctively threw itself out, surrounding me in a ten foot radius bubble and slamming the vampires into walls. It took me a few seconds to process what had instantaneously happened. The vampires in the room were all staring at me in shock- again, evidently they hadn't realised that I had one last trick up my sleeves.

Emmett was now standing in the middle of a wall, and Jasper was sliding down from the top of the bubble. The real surprise though was Edward. He was still standing beside me, inside my shield. This had never happened before, but it seemed that even my subconscious didn't register Edward as dangerous. When Jasper reached the ground I retracted the shield, and noted with satisfaction that none of the vampires were having trouble handling the small amount of blood from my papercut, which I was now nursing in my mouth. They were still all looking at me for an explanation.

I sighed, "I'm sorry, I forgot to mention that particular feature of my gift because it doesn't happen very often- the last time was nearly ten years ago." They were still looking at me with confusion on their faces. "My shield seems to have an inbuilt defence mechanism against vampires which automatically throws out a shield if there are vampires around when I draw blood." They all looked surprised, and Carlisle looked intrigued. "When I cut myself or graze something, if vampires are near me I seem to throw an automatic shield around myself that pushes vampires away from me and keeps me safe. Unfortunately, it can also be a bit of a problem." They now looked confused. "You see, the last time something happened was when I was seven and with the Volturi of course. We were out for a hike when I brushed my arm up against a sharp branch and cut myself. It bled quite a bit and my shield ended up throwing Felix, Demetri, Jane and Alec away from me. But then I fainted from the smell of the blood and nobody could get to me to stop the bleeding or wake me up. Apparently it took me ten minutes to wake up and all they could do was watch anxiously from ten feet away."

They all frowned at this revelation and looked worried, but I quickly put them at ease, "Of course, it seems that Edward has become an exception," I gestured to him, still standing behind me and understanding and relief dawned in their eyes as they realised that my shield had not pushed him away.

Emmett broke the serious mood for us with a chuckle. "See Edward, you aren't scary at all, even Bella's subconscious can distinguish between me- a big strong scary vampire, and you- a scrawny little weakling." We all chuckled softly at that and Edward snarled playfully.

Carlisle disappeared for a second, and then reappeared with a bandaid for me, which I quickly put on.

"Well," Esme observed, noting the broken walls, "You are certainly very effective at demolishing walls; your gift will be very handy for future renovations, and you've just given me a reason to redecorate this room," she smiled as her eyes critically assessed the demolition areas.

Jasper snickered, "Looks like you're out of a job Emmett."

Emmett pouted, "But Esme, I can destroy a house just as fast as Bella!"

I smirked, "No you can't Emmett."

He glared at me playfully, "We might have to test that theory sometime on the future Bells," I could see the spark of competition lit in his eyes and I grinned at him.

The mood was sufficiently restored and I handed Edward the envelope to open; not wanting a repeat performance of my earlier injury. He opened it and pulled out a photo. He handed it to me and I flipped it over. It was a picture of a Ducati- the same as Jasper's but dark blue in colour. I raised my eyebrows at Alice, "Really?" I asked excitedly.

She nodded, "It's in the garage, Esme wouldn't let us bring it into the house."

I beamed and hugged her, "Thank you! I can't wait to try it!"

Emmett grinned, "We can't wait either, the rest of us," he indicated everyone except Carlisle and Esme, "all bought bikes too so that we could ride with you and Jasper." I grinned as I envisioned all the fun we could have together.

Edward was the last to give me birthday gifts. He handed me a wrapped thin square present and slightly larger box. Neither of them were the right size nor shape to be an engagement ring. I stamped out my disappointment before Jasper could register it and smiled at him, waiting patiently for him to unwrap the smaller present for me. Inside was a clear CD case with a CD inside. The cover art on the disk was swirls of blue and white, with the words, 'Edward's Compositions,' on it. I grinned at him in delight and threw myself into his arms. He caught me and I leaned in for a quick, but passionate kiss. "Thank you Edward, I love it," I murmured.

"I'm glad you like it," he placed me back on the ground and opened his second gift to me. Inside was a large jewellery case in which a platinum chain with a glittering diamond heart sat.

I stared at it in awe, "It's beautiful," I whispered, reaching out to caress it softly.

"It was my mother's," he explained, "I wanted you to have it."

He took it out of the box and carefully placed it around my neck. My hand reached up to touch it as I reached up onto my toes and poured my thanks, appreciation and love into a kiss.

My last presents were a combined gift from the Volturi, including a priceless watercolour painting that I had been after for years, however the previous owner had not wanted to part with it for any sum of money. I wondered which member of my family had scared him into finally selling it. They had also sent a beautiful set of 1st edition Sherlock Holmes books and some more beautiful jewellery, all of which I loved.

Once the presents were out of the way I made a quick detour to the garage to see my new, gorgeous motorbike before Esme lit the candles on my cake. They sang happy birthday to me in perfect harmony; their musical voices in perfect pitch. I happily blew out the candles after making a wish- that Edward and I would get engaged very soon.

They all looked on in mild fascination as I took the first bite of cake. It was delicious; rich and decadent, with the light icing providing the perfect contrast. I moaned in ecstasy. "Emmett, you picked an awesome cake- this is divine." The whole family grinned at me. I had to have another piece before I felt overly full and was forced to stop.

We continued the celebration with a piñata- which Emmett felled with one hit, and a movie- where I happily curled up on Edward's lap with a bowl of popcorn, another slice of cake, and candy from the piñata. It was the best birthday party I had ever had, and when I told Alice that she squealed with joy.


	36. Proposals and Plans

Before long it was time to end my birthday celebrations so that I could go home. Esme boxed up the middle tier of the cake for me to take home; the rest of it went into their fridge for when I visited.

Edward took me home; kissing me goodbye before promising to come back before I was asleep. I went inside and Charlie whistled when he saw the cake I had bought with me. He helped himself to a slice as I told him some of my presents- the CD and necklace as well as the plane tickets. I thought it was best to leave out the motorbike, and the sound system for a car I wasn't supposed to have. He tensed up when he heard about the second set of plane tickets for Edward to accompany me, but to his credit he didn't comment, although I got the feeling that he was saving that particular argument for a day that wasn't my birthday.

I got ready for bed soon after, and after a call to Volterra to profusely thank my Volturi family for the birthday gifts I settled in bed to wait for Edward. As I lay there I couldn't help wondering if he was ever going to propose. I wasn't a very patient person, and it didn't take me long to decide that I had waited long enough. I was going to have to propose to him myself.

I spent the rest of the my time waiting for Edward's arrival by trying to decide on the best way to propose to him.

EPOV

I arrived home and helped Esme and Alice clear away all the party decorations and repair the damage to the walls from Bella's shield. I had just finished chucking out the wrapping paper when Alice froze. I immediately concentrated on her mind- wondering what the vision she was having would be about. I was shocked when I took it in.

Bella stalked into my room and faced me, hands on her hips. "I've waited long enough Edward, and since you haven't proposed it's my turn." She took both of my hands in hers. "Edward Anthony Masen Cullen, I love you and I want to spend eternity by your side. Will you marry me?"

I didn't get to see my reply- which I was sure would be an empathic YES before Alice's vision changed to Bella and I in our meadow. It was a sunny day and we were lying side by side as Bella slowly rolled to face me and asked me to marry her.

Alice came out of her visions grinning like a Cheshire cat. She shrieked with excitement and everyone came running to find out what she'd seen. "Looks like Bella is getting a little impatient with Edward and has decided that she'll propose to him since he hasn't gotten the nerve to do it yet."

Esme beamed in delight, "Oh that's wonderful news!"

Jasper and Emmett snickered, "Come on Edward, we had to propose to our wives- you'd better hurry up if you want to beat her to it."

I stood there taking in the meaning of the visions and soon I was grinning in delight. Bella wanted to marry me! I couldn't be happier, until I realised that I desperately wanted to be the one to propose to her. A plan quickly formed in my mind and Alice beamed at me. "Go on then Edward, go make Bella your fiancé," she encouraged me.

I didn't need to be told twice. I sped up to my room and retrieved the ring box holding Bella's engagement ring before jumping out my window and running off to Bella's house as fast as possible.

When I got there she was still awake, sitting in the dark and looking expectantly towards her window for me. When I appeared her face broke into a beautiful smile which I couldn't help but reciprocate.

Charlie was already asleep as I slipped into her room. "Hi," she breathed.

Her beauty took my breath away and I was suddenly eager to make her my fiancé. If I hadn't thought Alice would torture and then kill me for even thinking it I would have whisked Bella away to Las Vegas tonight and made her my wife.

"If you're not too tired love, would you like to go to our meadow for a little while- it's a nice night out," I offered.

She beamed at my suggestion and immediately hopped out of bed to put on shoes and a jacket, "Of course Edward, I can't think of a better was to end my birthday!"

I can, I thought to myself; thinking of the ring currently burning a hole in my pocket. I pulled her into my arms and leaped from the window to land silently on the ground beneath. She then climbed onto my back; heaving a contented sigh as she settled with her head resting comfortably on my shoulder.

I took off joyfully; eager to propose, especially as I had Alice's assurances and visions that all of my previous worries about her not wanting to marry me yet had been pointless. I was alternating between internally berating myself for not having proposed sooner, and revelling in the joy that soon Bella would be my fiancé.

When we got to the meadow Bella hopped down and looked at our surroundings in awe. It was a rare clear night in Forks, with only a few clouds scattered intermittently across the sky. The moonlight illuminated the meadow in an almost magical way. This was the perfect setting for my indented actions.

I walked slowly towards Bella, who was still standing in the middle of the meadow absorbing our surroundings. She turned to watch me curiously as I neared her. I ran my hand nervously through my hair before slowly getting down on one knee and simultaneously withdrawing the ring box and opening it. Bella gasped and her eyes lit up with excitement as she smiled down at me. I smiled back and drew a quick, unnecessary breath of air. "Bella, you are my life now- the very reason for my existence and I promise to love you forever- every single day of forever. Will you marry me?"

Her smile got even bigger as happy tears trailed down her face. "YES!" she shouted before exuberantly throwing herself into my arms. I smiled back exuberantly and kissed her; certain that I had never been this happy before in my entire 109 years of existing.

BPOV

I woke up the next morning; a bright smile adorning my face as I realised that last night hadn't been a dream and I was in fact engaged to my own personal Adonis. "Good morning," I said happily to my fiancé, who had his arms wrapped around me and was smiling down at me with his mesmerising golden eyes. He smiled back. "Good morning my beautiful fiancé."

After our customary good mornings, I got up and got ready for school while Edward left to get his car. I was thankful that Charlie had already left as I wanted to tell him about my engagement with Edward there.

Edward arrived back with a bouncing Alice. "Oh Bella! Please, please please let me plan your wedding?" she begged, bringing her full pout and puppy dog eyes into play. I chuckled,

"Alice, we haven't even set a date yet- although I was thinking that maybe it would be best to wait until after graduation next year. I looked at Edward for confirmation. He nodded, although I could tell that he really wanted to marry me as soon as possible. However, I had a plan, and it involved a proper honeymoon, which we wouldn't be able to have until I had finished school.

"Oh, okay, that gives me at least eight months to plan it," Alice beamed.

I cocked an eyebrow at her, "I don't recall saying you could plan it Alice. What if Edward and I want to go to Vegas?" I somehow managed to say it in a perfectly serious tone.

"WHAT?!" Alice roared, "Absolutely not! That is unacceptable. You will be having a proper wedding and I will be planning it!" She looked furious, although her expression softened as I burst out laughing and Edward joined in.

"Just kidding Alice, of course you can plan my wedding, that's the maid of honour's job after all."

Alice's smile could power a small city, "Really? Oh Bella thank you!" She bounced excitedly as we finally entered the car and headed to school. Edward drove one-handed, with the other rubbing gentle circles on my hand. I focussed on his touch and drones out as Alice prattled on about wedding plans from the backseat.

As we neared the school I reluctantly slid my beautiful engagement ring off. Edward looked at me in confusion, hurt apparent on his face. "Is there something wrong love? Do you not like it? I can get you a different one if you want?"

I rolled my eyes at him, "Of course I love it Edward!" I really did. The ring had been Edward's mothers, and was white gold with slanting rows of diamonds on its oval face. "I just don't want to wear it today until I've told Charlie myself- you know how fast Forks gossip travels. If anyone sees me wearing it this morning Charlie will know before I can tell him myself," I explained as I carefully treaded the ring onto my necklace. It lay against the diamond heart charm under my shirt.

As we entered the school, nobody seemed any wiser, thankfully, although I was well aware that when I wore my ring tomorrow Edward and I would be the subjects of much gossip and speculation. No doubt they would wonder if I was pregnant and Charlie was forcing Edward to marry me. I laughed at the thought. Edward bent down, "What's so funny?" he whispered in my ear. I removed my shield and showed him my thoughts. He chuckled softly.

"It never ceases to amaze me what human minds come up with."

The rest of the day passed normally, and we were soon pulling up outside the Cullen house that afternoon, my engagement ring now securely back on my finger. As soon as I entered the house I was inundated with congratulatory hugs on my engagement. "Welcome to the family officially little sis- you can't get rid of us now," Emmett joked. I just smiled at him.

"We're glad Edward finally proposed, even if we had to tell him to man up and do it before you beat him to it," Jasper chuckled.

I looked at him curiously. "What do you mean?"

"Well Edward's been thinking about proposing for a while now, but last night Alice had visions of you proposing to him, so Emmett and I told him he'd better hurry up if he didn't want to look like a wimp for the rest of eternity." The whole family was soon laughing at Edward, who I could tell was slightly embarrassed.

"It's oaky Edward, at least you were actually planning to propose to me," I reassured him.

While I was there I called Volterra with my news, putting them on speakerphone so that everyone could talk to them. "Uncle Aro I'm engaged!" I yelled excitedly as soon as they answered.

"Congratulations! That's wonderful news Bella!" he exclaimed. He was backed up by congratulatory comments from the rest of my Volturi family. "It's about time that boy made an honest woman out of you," Uncle Caius grumbled.

I gasped, "Uncle Caius! It's not like that." I blushed a deep red and the Cullen's snickered softly at my expression.

"Don't think that just because I was born over a millennium ago that I don't know what young people are up to these days," he warned.

I hadn't believed it was possible for me to become any redder, but apparently it was. "Okay, well we're going to go now, goodbye everyone, goodbye Uncle Caius," I said sweetly before quickly ending the call and burying my head into Edward's chest. Emmett and Jasper were outright laughing at me now, and I was soon forced to join them as Jasper pushed his feelings onto everyone else.

Before long Edward and I left. I cooked up a nice dinner for Charlie, hoping that the smell of his favourite meal would soften the blow I was about to give him.

Edward and I positioned ourselves next to each other on the couch as we heard Charlie's police cruiser pull up outside. I was nervous. I hadn't been nervous about telling my Volterra family as I knew that having already met Edward they would be happy for me. But knowing Charlie's own experience with Renee, I was unsure of how he would react to the news that his teenage daughter was engaged.

We heard the front door open and the sounds of Charlie hanging up his jacket and gun. "Bella?" he called.

"We're in the lounge Dad," I answered, thankful that I had been able to keep the nervousness out of my voice.

"Oh hi Edward," Charlie greeted him gruffly as he came into the room. He seemed to notice the tense atmosphere and he studied us suspiciously. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong dad," I tried to reassure him but my voice cracked. He raised an eyebrow at me. Edward proposed and I accepted dad, I'm engaged," I rushed out in one quick breath before leaning into Edward and waiting anxiously for a reaction.

Charlie's face remained blank and I got steadily more nervous. Casting a worried glance at Edward I saw the tiniest of smirks forming at the corners of his mouth. Finally Charlie burst out in laughter. "Oh Bells, you should have seen your face!" he crowed. I looked at him confused. "I saw this coming a mile away," he explained, "and Edward here asked for my blessing months ago." My jaw fell open in shock as I looked back and forth at the two laughing males.

"It wasn't very nice of you two to let me get all worked up over nothing," I grumbled petulantly.

Still snickering, "You still have to tell your mum though Bells- I'm not gonna have anything to do with that." Suddenly my nerves came back full force.

"Yeah Dad, I was thinking that Edward and I could use those plane tickets one weekend soon to go visit and tell her in person," I explained.

He nodded thoughtfully, "That would probably be best," he admitted.

Before long Edward had to leave and Charlie and I had dinner.

Sure enough, the next day as I entered the school, the diamonds of my engagement ring glinting under the fluorescent classroom lights, the rumours began to spread. Edward had a harder time ignoring them than I did due to his mind reading, but we managed quite well- only telling Angela and Ben that Edward had proposed and we would be getting married after graduation.

That afternoon Edward kissed me goodbye before leaving- he was going hunting for the night with his brothers and wouldn't be back until after school the next day.

That night as I lay in bed trying to will myself to sleep without Edward I heard my window gently slide open.

Much to my disappointment, it wasn't my bronze haired vampire back early from his hunt. Instead it was a golden haired one. I sat up in bed, pleasantly surprised by her visit. "Hi Rose, what brings you by at this time of the night?" She smiled hesitantly.

"Hi Bella, I wanted to talk to you when Edward wasn't around- he wouldn't like what I want to discuss with you." I propped myself comfortably up against the pillows on my headboard and motioned for her to take a seat. Bypassing the rocking chair, she sat down tentatively at the end of my bed. I was curious about what she wanted to tell me. It was unlike Rose to sneak into my room while Edward was gone- normally she was one to take the direct approach and damn the consequences.

"I'm going to tell you my story," she explained. "I know Edward hasn't told you it, and it isn't a happy story," she warned. I listened sympathetically as she told me the horror story that led to her transformation. When her story ended I hugged her, attempting to soothe away some of the pain that reliving her past had brought up. "So you see Bella, I lost my chance to have children. Now please don't misunderstand me, I'm not trying to scare you off becoming a vampire, but I do think you need to thoroughly thing through the consequences before it's too late." He face was serious and I could see how strongly she felt about this. "While I would love to have you as a sister, I don't want you to later regret becoming one of us. This isn't the life I would have chosen and if you choose this you will never be able to grow old, live a normal life and have children," she explained.

I smiled, touched by her thoughtfulness. I decided that it was time to reveal my plans- it wouldn't hurt to have an ally for when I told Edward what I wanted. "Thank you for your concern Rose. I understand, and believe me, having grown up with vampires, I am well aware of the consequences of becoming one," I reassured her. "What you probably don't know is that I know more about vampires than even Carlisle, and while female vampires can't have children, male vampires most certainly can with human females." Her eyes opened wide in shock and disbelief. "I haven't told Edward yet, but it is my plan for us to have a half-vampire child before I am changed."

"Half-vampire child?"

"Yes, they grow extremely fast and reach full maturity at around seven years of age, after which they are immortal and don't age. They have beating hearts, drink blood and eat human food, and are almost as fast and indestructible as full vampires," I explained. As she processed this I hopped out of bed and retrieved the books that I had stolen from Aro's library a few months ago. The books detailed Aro's visit with the Volturi guard to the Amazon a few decades ago and their encounter with some hybrids and their father. From the father's thoughts Aro had gleaned the logistics of human mothers carrying vampire children. He realised that due to the nature of the child, the mothers needed to drink blood in order to survive the pregnancy and would need a caesarean a few days before the baby was due if planning to keep the mother alive. Of course the vampire, Joharran, had not done that because he hadn't cared enough, although he had noticed the pregnant mother's cravings for raw meat, and the fact that the babies were far more developed than human ones when born.

I gave the books to Rosalie and she quickly read through them. Just before she got through them another feminie vampire figure slipped through my window. The pixielike figure stared at me with wide eyes. "I had to come and see if my vision was true. Is it really possible for you and Edward top have a baby?"

"Yes it is," I stated confidently, "I'm planning on it." I motioned towards the books Rosalie was reading and Alice picked up the first one. They both sped through the books as I waited patiently for them to finish.

When Alice was finally finished her first words were, 'Edward's not going to like this."

I sighed, "I know he'll be worried, but I really want this and with Carlisle around I don't think it will be anywhere near the risk it was for those Amazonian women." We all knew that Edward wasn't going to like the fact that none of the mothers had ever survived before. "Besides, I was planning on having Edward change me straight after the birth, so the venom will heal any injuries I get while pregnant and giving birth. I'm sure you guys can help Edward take care of our baby for a few days while I'm changing." They both nodded.

"Well I think it's a wonderful idea," Rose stated. "I'd be more than happy to help you Bella." I smiled in thanks at her. "Auntie Alice," Alice mused, "oh this is going to be wonderful," she squealed in excitement and hugged us both. I smiled; glad to have at least two family members on my side. I was sure that the rest, minus Edward, would be fairly easy to convince. Edward however, would be difficult. Not only was her not going to like the 100% fatality rate of the previous mothers, but I was sure that with his restrictions on our intimacy now, while we were still at the kissing stage, he was going to be very hesitant about the idea of us being intimate while I was still human. "Guys, please make sure Edward doesn't find out yet- I want to tell him myself in the next couple of weeks so that we can prepare for it after the wedding," I explained. They both promised to keep it out of their minds while Edward was near.

They left soon after since I needed to get some sleep before school tomorrow. I remembered to put the books back in their hiding place under a lose floorboard before crawling back into bed and falling soundly asleep. That night I dreamed of Edward and I with children- a little boy with emerald green eyes and brown hair, and a little girl with my chocolate eyes and Edward's bronze hair.


	37. Annoyances

BPOV

I picked up Alice for school, already missing Edward's presence. We chatted on the way though, and her bubbly personality pulled me out of my slight sadness. When I asked her about the best time for Edward and I to go and see Renee and tell her about our engagement she cheerfully told me that she'd already booked Edward and I flights to New York for this weekend, since they would be there preparing for Phil's game next weekend and it would be overcast from Friday until mid next week. She had also upgraded their room to a small luxury suite, and Edward and I had the presidential suite at their hotel. I hugged her when we got to school. "Thank you so much Alice! You're going to be awesome at organising our wedding."

She grinned, 'I know, it's going to be talked about in Forks for over a decade afterwards," she tapped her nose knowingly. I groaned. "Oh, and since I know you're going to ask, Renee is going to love Edward once she sees how much of a gentleman he is and how much he loves you." I sighed with relief, once again grateful for Alice's ability. It would stop me worrying needlessly for the next few days. "In fact, I see you all having a great time in New York. You and Renee will have a great time shopping, and Edward will get to go to one of Phil's baseball practises." I grinned, that sounded wonderful.

All too soon the start bell rang and we reluctantly parted ways and headed towards our classes. The classes were exceptionally boring without Edward there, and the mornings dragged on at an incredibly slow rate. I amused myself by using my extra good hearing to listen in on the whispered rumours going around. I doubted that they would be slowing down anytime soon. It seemed there were many people that believed I was only marrying Edward for his money, or his looks. It irritated me to no end that they didn't believe there was more behind his appearance and wealth. He was so much more behind it. Then again, I mused, it wasn't like I wanted them to know just how wonderful he really was, or I'd constantly have to shroud him in a six foot bubble just to keep the girls off of him.

Finally lunch arrived, and I rushed to the cafeteria to see Alice, grateful for anything that would break up the monotony of my day so far. Unfortunately, as I entered, I found myself cornered by none other than Mike Newton. I gritted my teeth in frustration. Apparently, since Edward wasn't with me today he thought I was fair game, despite the shining engagement ring on my finger. I looked desperately over at Alice, but she just smiled back with an amused look on her face. Annoying pixie.

It seemed that Mike was far more stupid than he looked- which was saying something. "So Bella, word is that you're engaged to Cullen."

I raised an eyebrow and held up my left hand. The diamonds shone brilliantly under the fluorescent light. "Yes I am, but I fail to see how that is any of your business." He shifted uncomfortably at the hostility in my voice.

"Well I don't like it- you could do so much better than him."

I laughed. "And who would be better for me? You?" at his decisive nod I laughed harder. 'Let me make this clear for you Mike. I love Edward, and he loves me. We're getting married and there's no one better for me than Edward."

Apparently that wasn't clear enough for him. "Well how would you really know Bella?" I mean it's not like you've really dated anyone else. You should date other people before it's too late. I'd be more than happy to help you out." He winked suggestively at me and I recoiled in horror, backing into the wall.

My patience had reached his limit, and I was outraged at his suggestion. I reached into my pocket and pulled out my phone. I quickly skimmed through my contact list until I found who I was looking for. I dialled and it was picked up immediately. "Hey Bells, I know you're missing Edward and All, but we're heading home now and I promise he's still in the same condition he left in- still desperately in love with you." Emmett's cheerful teasing voice came through.

"Hi Emmett, as happy as I am to hear that Edward is fine, I'm actually calling because Mike is bothering me and won't take a hint- would you believe that he's trying to convince me that I need to date other people before I marry Edward, and- I quote- 'it's too late.' Apparently I need to make sure that Edward is the right one." In the background I could hear Edward's indignant growl.

Emmett laughed evilly. 'Put the phone on speaker lil sis." I pulled it away from my ear and tapped the speaker button. "Okay Emmett, go ahead."

Beside me Mike paled as he realised who I'd called. "Hi Mike," Emmett's normally cheerful voice was hard. Mike gulped, 'Hi Emmett."

"I hear you've been trying to dissuade Bella from marrying my brother."

"Uh,' he stuttered.

"Now listen closely Mike. Our family loves Bella, and she's like a little sister to me. Now she loves Edward, and he absolutely adores her, and they're gonna get married. Now when that happens, she'll officially be my little sister- something I am really looking forward to. You don't want to swindle me out of a little sister do you Mikey?"

His voice had turned menacing and one look at Mike's pale face and quivering figure confirmed that Emmett was scaring the daylights out of him. "No Emmett."

"Good, now stay away from Bella or I'll have to pay you a little visit, and we wouldn't want that now would we?"

"No,' he squeaked out before turning and walking quickly away with all the air of a chastised dog. Deciding that I hadn't had quite enough vengeance yet, I subtly put up a tiny invisible shield in front of his foot for just a second while he was rushing away from me, past tables of people. He tripped, falling face first into someone's lasagne. If it was possible, his face actually looked to be a darker shade of red than the crimson sauce covering it. The whole table burst into laughter at the sight as he ran, horrified, out of the cafeteria. Over in the corner, still at our table, Alice was shaking with laughter.

I was also chuckling as I took my phone off speaker and told Emmett in great detail what had just befallen Mike. He roared with laughter and in the background I could hear his brothers joining in. "Well thanks for the help Em, hopefully he'll have finally gotten the idea that I'm not interested in anyone but Edward,' I sighed as I headed towards Alice.

'No problem li'l sis- it was my pleasure. Oh and your fiancé wants to talk to you." I felt a little thrill at the word.

"Okay, bye Emmett."

I sat down next to Alice and my heart jumped as I heard Edward's velvet voice. "Hello love, we're almost back in Forks now, did you have a good night?"

"Yes, although it would have been better if you were there," I pouted. I knew it was selfish to want Edward to stay with me even though sometimes he was effectively starving himself to stay with me as much as possible, but despite my moments of guilt over it I always wanted him with me. He had become an addiction that I wasn't willing to give up, and when he wasn't with me I almost had withdrawal symptoms.

He chuckled, "Stop pouting Bella, I'll be waiting for you when you get back from school." I smiled at that.

"Okay, oh by the way, we're going to New York this weekend to see mum, Alice already booked it."

"New York? So I get to take you to see the Statue of Liberty." He sounded thrilled.

"Yes, although you'll probably have to put up with my flighty mother tagging along."

"I'm sure it'll be fine love, besides, I haven't been to New York since Alice dragged the whole family there in the 60's, although the girls go there every couple of years for fashion shows and shopping."

That sounded fun, and I made a mental note that we would go shopping again soon- we had had so much fun on out last weekend long shopping trip in Canada, and I briefly wondered whether we should go back to West Edmonton Mall with the guys this time, I was sure we'd have a great time. Alice looked up and me and grinned. I took that as confirmation that it was a great idea.

I ended my conversation with Edward soon after, pleased that he had many places he wanted to show me in New York. I ate quickly, since I had used up most of my lunch getting rid of Mike and talking to Emmett and Edward, and when the bell ran I reluctantly headed to my biology class, missing Edward as my lab partner.

That afternoon, once school was over, Alice and I sped towards the Cullen's house, both eager to see out mates. When we arrived, before I could open my door it was opened for by Edward and I was pulled out into his arms. I melted into them and lifted up my face to kiss him enthusiastically. My body became heated as he responded and neither of us pulled away until I was desperate for air. "mmm, I missed you," I murmured.

"I missed you too love." He leaned down to give me a soft sweet kiss and just like that my world was complete again.

We spent the afternoon together making plans for the weekend, not really caring what we were doing as long as it was together. I packed my suitcase for the weekend so that it would be ready to go, then Edward and I relaxed by playing our instruments.

Together we weaved a beautiful loving sweet melody- a tribute to our love for each other. We kept our eyes locked on each other as his fingers moved swiftly over the piano keys, and mine plucked the strings of my harp. Lost as we were in each other and the music, we were both startled to find the res of the family watching us when we stopped. Their faces were a mixture of awe and amazement. Esme looked as if she would be crying if she could. "That was beautiful," she said softly. We smiled and I couldn't have agreed more- what Edward and I had was special.

I had a sudden idea and Alice started jumping. 'Oh Bella it's perfect." The rest of the family looked confused- even Edward, who Alice had been keeping out of her thoughts lately due to the wedding, since she didn't want Edward to accidently catch a glimpse of my wedding dress.

They turned to me for an explanation. "I want us to record this song so that Edward and I can have our first dance as husband and wife to it," I explained. Edward's face broke out into a stunning smile, and the rest of the family beamed.

Edward got up from his piano and came to me, tenderly cupping my cheek in his hand. "It's perfect love." My smile got bigger, and I couldn't help but envision how wonderful it would be to dance with him as husband and wife to the beautiful melody that was a tribute to our love.

That night over dinner I told Charlie that Edward and I planned on going to New York on the weekend to visit Renee. To his credit he didn't say anything, just grunted in acknowledgement and said he hoped he enjoyed myself.

Renee was ecstatic when I called to tell her the news- she had been looking forward to meeting Edward, and couldn't wait to spend time with us. I slept far more peacefully that night with Edward back in his rightful place by my side.

Friday afternoon found us speeding down the highway towards Seattle. The five Cullen children and I were testing out our new motorbikes, with Carlisle following us in Emmett's jeep and Esme in my Maserati. The jeep was so that Edward's and my bikes could be taken back, and my Maserati was being left at the airport for us to come home in. We loved out bikes. It was exhilarating to fell to feel the rush of speed and the wind in my face. It was almost as good as being on Edward's back when he ran.

We soon reached the airport, even though none of us were really done enjoying our bikes. Edward and I said our goodbyes as our bikes were loaded into the jeep and Esme returned from parking my car. The flight to New York was boring, and there were no interesting movies on, so I curled up in Edward's lap, feeling content and happy surrounded by him. I smirked when jealous air hostesses glared at me every time they walked past, proud that Edward was mine. I soon succumbed to sleep, successfully quelling my worries over our trip. I was anxious about Edward meeting my mum. Due to Alice's assurances I wasn't worried about her liking Edward, however, I was certain she would take great pleasure in telling him many of my embarrassing childhood stories. I was just glad that Emmett wasn't with us- if he had been no doubt I had get enough material to tease me for the next couple of centuries.

When Edward woke me up just before the plane landed I realised that he looked enthusiastic. Wonderful. I was also worried because I was planning on telling Edward of my wish for us to have a child together after we were married, and I had no idea of how I was going to broach that subject, let alone convince him to agree to it. I was also unsure of what his initial reaction would be; Alice hadn't been able to see it since there were too many decisions to be made.

Both Alice and Rose were hoping that Edward could be convinced quickly so that Alice would be able to see our children. So was I- I couldn't wait to find out whether we would be having a son, or a daughter. I had already thought of some possible names, depending on what the sex of our baby was. I just hoped Edward would say yes.

We got off the plane and quickly grabbed our luggage, eager to get to the hotel and see my mother. We caught a taxi- which turned out to be incredibly easy with Edward around since as soon as he hailed for one, all the female and gay male taxi drivers sped towards him. It didn't take a mind reader to work out that they were hoping to flirt with him on the drive, and Edward's muted groan as we slid into the cab of a gay guy wearing a flamboyant pink and yellow scarf confirmed it. I chuckled softly as we sped through the city.

From about a few miles away from the hotel Edward bent down and whispered in my ear, "She can't wait to see you again, and she'd wondering if I look as good in real life as I did in our prom pictures."

I vibrated with excitement. When we arrived I rushed into the lobby ahead of Edward. "Mum!" I yelled as I hurried towards her and hugged her tight.

"Bella! Oh I missed you baby," she hugged me back, then stepped away slightly to survey me properly. "You look really happy Bella."

I grinned, "I am Mum, in fact; we have news." I hesitated and looked at Edward for comfort. He stepped up beside me and held p my left hand, kissing it and beaming proudly. "I asked Bella to marry me and she said yes."

His smile was so bright that I couldn't help but smile with him.

Renee's face was one of shock, but it quickly morphed into a smile as she surveyed the ring and our happy faces. "Congratulations honey, you look so happy with him- happier than I've ever seen you, I am so happy that you've already found your soul mates in each other- I know you are both mature-minded people, so you won't make my mistakes Bella."

I couldn't help but hug her again. "Thanks Mum," I whispered.

"Congratulations you two," Phil piped up. We both thanked him, "I hope you guys have a long and happy life together." I gave him a hug as well. Edward shook his hand after hugging my mum softly.

After talking a little more, Edward and I booked in and arranged to meet them at the hotel restaurant for dinner later. Edward was taking us all out to dinner to celebrate our engagement, as well as my reunion with mum.

The presidential suite was wonderful and I immediately pulled off my shoes and ran to the master bed. I leaped onto it and sunk into the soft, heavenly mattress. I groaned in enjoyment, and Edward chuckled as he lay down quietly beside me. We relaxed for a while, with Edward gently stroking my hair, before he reluctantly reminded me that we had to start getting ready for dinner if we didn't want to be late.

I groaned and got off the bed. Picking up my suitcase I unzipped it and paused in shock. My jaw dropped open as my mind registered the contents of my suitcase- content I most certainly did not pack. All of my clothes had been removed and in their place was something black. I pulled it out as Edward looked on curiously.

It was a black spandex catsuit. Also in the suitcase were knee high black leather boots, and a headband with small cat ears in it. I unpinned the note attached to the catsuit and read it aloud. "Edward's favourite animals are large cats, have fun." There was nothing else in the suitcase except my jewellery and toiletries- not even any underwear. Thankfully I had put my vampire-human hybrid books in my carryon luggage, so I still had them with me. I gritted my teeth and looked up at Edward. "Emmett!" I growled. Edward's eyes were wide as he watched me holding up the black material and boots. I was surprised as I read the lust in his eyes. Well, I figured, now is probably a good time to test how resistant to my baby making plan he'll be. I smirked, "Well at least I've got something to wear for our honeymoon." His eyes opened wide and he gulped.

"Um Bella, as much as I want to" I was thrilled at that revelation, "if you're still human I don't know if that will be possible."

I sighed, it looked like it would be harder than I thought to convince Edward that we should have a baby if I couldn't even convince him to try creating one first. "I trust you Edward- you won't hurt me. Besides, with my shields you can't." I suddenly realised we were running late for dinner. "Let's not get into that now, at the moment I'm more worried about the fact that I have nothing to wear." I picked up my phone and called Alice. "Alice! How could you let this happen?" I whined into the phone when she answered.

"I'm so sorry Bella, he must have made sure to only make last minute decisions. I only saw you opening your suitcase and finding it like that when you were already halfway to New York." She apologised. Then her tone brightened, "But I sent you a cocktail dress for tonight's dinner, although you'll have to go shopping tomorrow. It was the best I could do for you at such short notice, oh, and I'll help you get Emmett back."

I relaxed now that I knew I would have something to wear for the night. "Thank you Alice, tell Emmett he's going to regret this." I gritted my teeth in frustration as I closed the phone. I turned to Edward, but before I could say anything there was a knock at the door.

Edward went to answer it while I sat down on the bed and sighed, trying to rid myself of my frustration. He came back carrying a box which he held out to me. I opened it expectantly and pulled out the dress Alice had had couriered to us from a boutique.

Full of relief I quickly have Edward a peck on the lips and rushed into the bathroom to get ready. Despite the time limit, I couldn't help but take my time in the luxurious shower, stopping to enjoy the hot water cascading down my back.

Once I was done I came back out of the bathroom wrapped in a fluffy towel and feeling much calmer. I had the pleasure of seeing Edwards eyes widen as he slowly perused my body appreciatively from my toes upwards until he met my amused gaze. He quickly schooled his expression into a nonchalant look. "Bathroom's all yours," I grinned at him.

He raced in while I got dressed. The dress was a knee length emerald green wrap dress. Since I didn't have any shoes, other than the sneakers I had worn on the plane, I pulled out the black boots Emmett had sent and thanked my lucky stars that he had made sure they were my size.

Edward walked out of the bathroom just as I had my dress hiked up, and one leg up on the bed as I put the boots on. This time he didn't control his expression,; choosing instead to stare hungrily at me. Inwardly I cheered; hoping this meant that maybe it would be easier to convince Edward to conceive our child after all. I winked at him as I zipped up the second boot and put my foot back on the floor, smoothing my dress back down. "Like what you see?"

He strode towards me and wrapped his arms around me. "Undoubtedly love. You are the most beautiful thing I have ever seen." I melted at the combination of his words, his irresistible velvet voice, and the feeling of his strong arms around me.

"Mmm, good to know," I murmured huskily. It was excellent in fact. Maybe I would be able to seduce him into getting me pregnant if he wouldn't accede to my requests. I felt momentarily guilty about considering tricking him, but I pushed that thought away for now- everything would be so much easier for both of us if Edward agreed to allow us to try for a baby once I'd told him it was possible. I just had to work up the nerve to do it.

"What are you thinking love?' Edward had noticed how quiet I had become as I mused over how to tell Edward. I quickly realised though that now wasn't the time to do it.

"Oh nothing important, come on, we'd better go or we'll be late," I said as I reluctantly extracted myself from his arms. "I don't want to endure Renee's knowing glances if we're late- she'll think the reason we were late is because we were busy having sex." I explained as I looked in the mirror and made sure I looked okay. My hair hung in smooth waves down my back. At my throat was my diamond heart from Edward. My wrist had my platinum and diamond cuff, and my engagement ring shone on my finger. I smiled as I lifted it up to my face and admired it again. I had found myself doing that a lot lately.

Edward came up behind me and kissed my neck. "I love you," he murmured before pulling away and dragging me out of the penthouse. I grinned and followed him, my hand encased in his.

Luckily we made it to the restaurant just before them and waited a couple of minutes until we saw an enthusiastic Renee running up to us with Phil trailing along behind. "Oh honey, I love your dress," she gushed, giving me another hug.

"Thanks mum, Alice bought it for me," this sparked a discussion as we were being seated about our plans for the next day. Thanks to Alice I already knew that we were going shopping while Edward joined Phil at baseball practise, and I quickly suggested it. Edward then suggested that we should do a night tour of the Statue of Liberty afterwards, to which Renee gushed in agreement. I could tell that he'd already won her over.

Renee raised an enquiring eyebrow when Edward and I ordered one dish between us so that it would look like Edward was eating. "We've discovered that it's better this way, otherwise we end up eating more off each other's plates than our own anyway," I lied.

"To be honest Renee, after seeing how clumsy Bella is, I'm a bit hesitant to let her near a knife for fear that she'll slip and chop a finger off," Edward chuckled, and Renee broke out into peals of laughter with Phil laughing as well.

I glared at them as my tell tale blush adorned my cheeks. I lifted my shield and thought at Edward, "you'd better shut up now or you'll be eating your own meals while we're here," he quietened immediately and sent me an apologetic look.

Unfortunately, Renee decided that since Edward was going to marry me, he needed to know all of my embarrassing childhood stories, and my cheeks stayed red the entire night as Edward listened to Renee with a rapt expression. I was just glad Emmett wasn't here, since he would have gotten enough material from her tales to tease me for the next five centuries.

"There was one time on my birthday, when Bella was five, when she tried to bake me a birthday cake. I was in my studio painting, and Bella managed to sneak out and into the kitchen. She followed the recipe to perfection, but then she left it in the oven for too long and the cake came out like a dry rock." They all chuckled as I glared at them. "Then she decided that she needed to fix the cake, so she got my face moisturiser and slathered it onto the cake because it said softens and hydrates on it and she thought it would make the cake turn back into a moist mud cake." By now they were laughing harder. "So then I walked out and was touched by how thoughtful she'd been. So of course I tried a piece and I had to spit it out immediately it was so horrible. Bella looked so upset, but she threw up when she tried to eat her piece." They all laughed hard at my expense and I stoically looked at the table and at my food.

That wasn't all though. Renee also brought up a few childhood stories from Forks that I could barely remember. "When Bella was three and we still lived in Forks I took her to the playground. She was having a great time and there were a few other kids around the same age there too. Anyway, she walked up to a little boy playing in the sandpit with his trucks and politely asked him if she could play. He said no and informed her harshly that 'Girls can't play with trucks, only boys can.' I rushed over, thinking that she'd start crying because he was being mean to her, but Bella glared at him and decked him so hard that he fell back into the sandpit. She then informed him that she didn't want to play with him anyway and stalked off to the swings. I had to apologise to his mother. We saw him a few days later at the park again and he had a black eye. Come to think of it, you guys might know him if his family still lives in the area- his name was Mike Newton."

Edward burst into raucous laughter, his shaking frame sending shuddered thought the entire table. He was catching quite a few stares from the other patrons, but it looked like he couldn't control his outburst. "He deserved it" I muttered mutinously. I had vague memories of hitting a boy in a sandpit, but I'd had no idea before now that it was Mike Newton.

Edward finally calmed down, "I have no doubt he did love," he assured me, his eyes sparkling with amusement. "I can't wait to tell Emmett- he'll really get a kick out of that story." I groaned and rested my head on his shoulder. Emmett was going to love hearing about me punching Mike.

Dinner finally ended- much to my relief; I wasn't sure how much longer I could go on hearing Renee tell embarrassing stories about me. When we got back to our suite I realised that I had another problem. Thanks to Emmett I had no pyjamas, although I thankfully had found a spare change of underwear in my toiletries bag- my emergency set.

I ruminated over my options for a second before realising that Edward had a fully packed suitcase of clothes. He watched me sceptically as I skipped over to his suitcase and rifled through it. I pulled out one of his t-shirts and a pair of boxers and went into the bathroom to change.

Edward's clothes were incredibly comfortable, and I could smell his lilac-honey-sun scent on them, making me feel enveloped in him. I happily walked out to find Edward in pyjama pants and a t-shirt. He looked delicious and I licked my lips unconsciously as I appreciated the view that his tight t-shirt gave me of his ripped abs underneath. I realised by his stiff stance that he found the sight of me in his clothes uncomfortable. I just hoped that it was in a good way, since I was counting on it for the potential conception of our child.


	38. Decisions

The next morning I woke as usual to Edward peppering my face with soft kisses. I rolled into him and we indulged in a short make out session before Edward pulled away. I pulled a disgruntled face, and Edward gave me a grin. "As much as I would love to continue love, your mother is about to knock on the door." I leaped out of bed and ran to my suitcase to change. I stopped short when I saw the lonely black piece of spandex, and groaned, cursing Emmett mentally just as a knock came at the door.

"Bella? Are you up yet?" my mother's voice drifted in from outside the suite. I reluctantly went and opened the door. She smirked as she registered the fact that I was wearing Edward's shirt. "Oh, I'm sorry honey, I hope I didn't interrupt anything- I just wanted to let you know that Phil and I are heading down to breakfast and Phil and Edward need to leave in an hour and a half to go to practice."

I inwardly winced at her knowing gaze. "Sure mum, we'll be down soon," I promised before shutting the door. I groaned and walked back into the bedroom to find an amused Edward still sitting on the bed. "She thought we were having sex didn't she?" I asked. He chuckled and nodded. I groaned and pulled him up off the bed. I kissed him softly and then reluctantly pulled away. "Well you heard her- we have to join them for breakfast."

Once again I raided Edward's suitcase for something to wear temporarily until I could buy more clothes. I ended up in one of Edward's blue dress shirts with the sleeves rolled up to my elbows and a belt cinched at my waist. Due to the differences in our height the shirt stopped a couple of inches above my knees and was doable as a shirt dress. I was also back in the black boots again. Before we left Edward surprised me by pulling me in for a passionate kiss. I moaned into his mouth as he set my body on fire with his kisses. He pulled away when it was getting necessary for me to take another breath and we were both panting heavily- even though air was unnecessary for Edward. "Love, you have no idea what seeing you in my clothes does to me," he murmured, cupping my cheek.

"Well if that's the reaction I get I just might get rid of my wardrobe and always wear your clothes." I smiled exultantly, loving the way he had reacted, and was seriously rethinking the need to go out and buy more clothes today. After all, Edward obviously had plenty to spare.

He chuckled, "I'm afraid not love, I don't think my control is strong enough to handle it." I huffed.

We joined Renee and Phil for a quick breakfast before the guys headed off to the baseball stadium, and we headed for the malls. I loaded myself up with clothes for the weekend, as well as clothes for Alice, Rose and Esme. I also bought Renee a few things, and we had fun on our girl's day. I enjoyed everything except her knowing glances at La Pearla as I loaded up with a ton of lingerie since I had no spare underwear left.

It was when we got out of La Pearla that the questions started. "So honey, how good is Edward in Bed? Is he satisfying you? Are you being safe?" The questions just kept coming and I groaned.

"Mum, please!" I begged. I knew that there was no way she would believe that we weren't doing anything after this morning. "Yes we are being safe and that's all you need to know- I'm not discussing anything else with you." After all- abstinence was the best contraceptive method.

We continued shopping and I studiously ignored her other questions.

We finally got back to the hotel after lunch and I rushed into the suite to escape her and get to Edward. Inside Edward picked me up and kissed me, telling me without words that he had missed me. 'Did you have a good time?" I asked.

He smirked. "I had a great time. In fact I even got to play a little. You should have seen their faces when I hit the ball into the stands and got a home run." His face was smug.

I rolled my eyes at his cocky expression. "Edward you know you shouldn't show off- we can't all be prefect vampires you know."

He grinned, but then his expression turned sad. I frowned. "What's wrong?"

"I heard what your mother was thinking when you came back to the hotel- she was thinking about our future, and that we might have kids someday. I'm not perfect Bella, I can't give you that." His expression was pained.

I cupped his cheek softly. I realised that now was the time to tell him. "If we could have kids together would you want them?" I asked.

"Of course Bella, there is nothing I would like more than to be able to have children with you," he breathed, "But it's impossible for vampires to have children Bella. So there's no point in thinking about it-unless you wanted to leave me and live normal human life with a human man- I wouldn't begrudge you that." He looked so sad and earnest and if it was possible my love for him grew a little more.

"Oh no Edward; If I can't have children with you than I don't want any." I assured him. He relaxed slightly. It was time to tell him the truth. "Edward," I began hesitantly, "What would you say if I told you we could have a child together- a vampire-human hybrid?"

His eyes opened wide and he gaped at me. "What?" he asked in shock, "Is that possible?"

"Yes it is- with a human mother and a vampire father. Female vampires can't have children because their bodies can't change, but male vampires are still fertile after they're changed." I explained. Well he hadn't run away or said no yet, which I took as a positive sign. "We can have a baby Edward- I want us to have a child before I'm changed."

His face was still a mask of shock. "Bella, having a half-vampire baby inside you would be incredibly dangerous- how many hybrids are out there anyway?"

"Not many," I admitted, "Aro ran into them a long time ago."

And then came his most important question. "Did any of the mothers survive?"

I winced. "No," I admitted. "But.."

His face tightened and he cut me off. "I will not take the chance of losing you Bella, it's far too dangerous for you to try and carry a hybrid baby just so that we can have children." His voice was pained and angry.

"But none of them had any medical support Edward- you don't know the logistics- I'll have you and Carlisle- I'll be fine," I protested.

"NO!" he yelled, "I can't lose you Bella and this is far too dangerous." With that he made to leave to room, no doubt to go for a run and calm down.

I quickly threw a shield around him and stopped him in his tracks. "Please Edward, at least hear all the facts before you make a decision," I begged.

His eyes softened and he sighed before coming to stand beside me. I sat down on the bed and he joined me as I began to explain all I knew of hybrids. "I won't ask you to decide right away," I said as I finished, "I just want you to promise me you'll think this through thoroughly before you make a decision." He quietly agreed.

I left him to his thoughts for the rest of the night as we had an early dinner with Renee and Phil and toured the Statue of Liberty. Edward seemed to be able to push aside his worries and enjoy the tour with me- pointing out his favourite parts and explaining the history of the statue to me.

That night before bed I handed Edward the books to read while I was asleep.

EPOV

As Bella lay beside me sleeping I read through the books she had given me thoroughly. I had been undeniably shocked when she had revealed to me that it would be possible for us to have a child, but I could also tell that she was keeping some details from me. As much as I loved Bella, and wanted to have a child with her, there was no way I would ever risk her life- I knew that if she died I wouldn't be able to live without her.

However, I could see in her eyes how much she wanted this child, and I had been subjected to the sadness and wistfulness of Rosalie and Esme's thoughts as they longed for children they could never have. I didn't want Bella to be like that when she became a vampire- constantly longing for the impossible. I also wasn't sure whether she would resent me if I said no. I doubted it, because she was always so forgiving, but Rosalie and Esme would never forgive me.

That wasn't what bothered me though. I would deal with the eternal wrath of my whole family if it meant Bella was safe and happy, and while she would be undeniably safer without taking the chance of carrying a hybrid baby, she wouldn't be happier.

I read and reread the information, and went back over our discussion earlier in the day and her plans to ensure she would stay healthy as the baby grew. I had to admit that her plans for drinking blood, constant supervision by Carlisle, Rosalie or myself (The three in the family with medical degrees), and if possible, inducing labour early or having a caesarean, were all good ideas, and it could definitely work, however, I wasn't comfortable with using Bella as the test subject. In the back of mind I was constantly reminding myself that no woman had ever survived the birth of a hybrid before.

That wasn't the only problem though. I was not even sure that I had the control to be intimate with Bella without hurting her. While I knew she had her shields, and that would probably help, I couldn't guarantee that she would be able to keep them up in the throes of passion, and I also couldn't guarantee that I wouldn't accidently bite her, or be too rough and hurt her.

She had been testing my control lately, with her heated gazes and teasing looks. I had to admit that the idea of her in that tight catsuit had made my dead heart feel like it was racing. She had brought out the teenage boy's lust- something I had never felt before. Even as a human I had never found a woman who appealed to me, but Bella appealed to me in every way- her silent mind, her beautiful eyes and body, her intelligent insights into the world, her bright but sweet personality, her tantalising blood, and everything else about her.

It was not going to be an easy decision to make, and I spent the night alternating between watching her sleep and mentally making a pros and cons list. As the night went on I realised that I desperately wanted a child with Bella- something I had never even contemplated before in over a century of existence, but I also couldn't risk Bella's life.

Unable to come to a decision, I tucked Bella closer to me and waited for the morning to come.

BPOV

When I woke that morning, Edward still had a contemplative look on his face, and I realised that he hadn't made a decision throughout the night. He leaned down and kissed me softly when he realised that I was awake. "Good morning. I'm sorry that I don't have an answer for you yet love, but I promise that I will have made a decision by the time we get back to Forks."

I nodded in acceptance, realising that he would need more time to think it over. "Okay, but if you need more time, just tell me, you don't have to reach a decision yet, and remember I only want you to promise that we'll try- there's no guarantee that I would actually get pregnant. Besides, graduation is still quite a few months off- and I don't want us to have a child until after the wedding."

He smiled softly, "Okay love, I am taking into account everything you said, but I will have an answer before we get back to Forks- I don't want the opinions of our family to impact a decision that should be ours."

I grinned at him, "Thank you." Then I rolled over and straddled him. "Is there anything I can do to help convince you?" I purred, leaning down and kissing him while my hands trailed down his hard, muscled chest to the hem of his shirt. My heart started beating excitedly as I felt the contours of his ripped stomach. I began lifting the shirt, but was stopped by a vicelike grip on my wrists.

Edward's lips parted from mine and he groaned. "Not now Bella."

I sighed and removed my hands, rolling back so that I was beside him again. "I should have just held you down with my shields and had my way with you, then surprised you when I got pregnant," I muttered, annoyed that my attempt at seduction had been thwarted.

He raised an eyebrow, "Kinky."

I grinned, "Well we can save that idea for the honeymoon too," seeing his frown at how serious I was, I carried on, "And I want us to have a proper honeymoon regardless Edward," I said firmly. "If you decide that we shouldn't have kids then I will go on birth control beforehand, but we will have a proper honeymoon." I was determined.

He saw how serious I was and sighed, "Bella, I don't know if I can do that without hurting you," his eyes were worried.

"Well, I was actually thinking about that, and while I trust that you won't hurt me, and I have my shields as a backup, I was thinking that maybe we should practice."

Edward looked interested but wary. "What would practise entail?"

"Well, I thought we could work our way through the bases until the wedding- start small and work our way up. I think it would be best to go slow so that you can build up you control," I explained, "That way you won't be so worried on our honeymoon."

He nodded thoughtfully, "Perhaps, but it will be very slow Bella- and I need to be the one setting the pace," he warned.

I nodded enthusiastically; ecstatic that he had agreed to that part and hoping that meant I was a step closer to getting him to agree to us having a child.

Before I could convince him to start practising now, a chance glance at the clock made me realise that we needed to get up for breakfast.

Our day was filled as we took in some of New York's sights, including Central Park, a museum, and the Zoo. Both of us enjoyed everything, and were entertained watching Renee's almost childlike enthusiasm for everything. I successfully managed to put my anxiety over the fact that Edward was still making a very important decision about our future to the back of my mind so that I could properly enjoy one of the last outings I would get to go on with my mother.

The next day I spent the morning walking with Renee. She admitted that when I first arrived she had hoped to convince me to come and stay with her again, but after seeing me with Edward, and watching our obviously strong mutual love for each other she realised that she couldn't possibly ask that of me. We enjoyed the rest of our time together, but eventually it was time for Edward and I to head back to Forks.

I valiantly held back tears as I bid my mother goodbye and extracted a promise that she would be arriving in Forks just before our wedding.

The plane ride was quiet, and to give Edward time to think I watched the movie and reread Pride and Prejudice. Likewise, the drive home was also silent; my breathing and the gentle hum of the car's engine the only sounds interrupting the silence.

Instead of driving us to the Cullen house, Edward turned, and when we parked at the end of a familiar road, I realised that we were going to our meadow. I stayed quiet, yet hopeful as he slung me onto his back and took off, and despite my nerves, I still managed to enjoy the short ride.

He set me down in the middle of the meadow and turned to face me. I looked up; trying to read his expression, but it was perfectly blank. I frowned slightly. He gave me a small half smile. "Bella, I've decided that if this is what you want, then I am willing to try," he said softly, "Provided the whole family is prepared. I want you to know that I would love to have a child with you- a symbol of what our love created. I know you were worried that I might not want children, and to be honest, I have never even contemplated the possibility before a few days ago. But I do want this with you Bella," he assured me.

I broke out into a huge smile. His decision had not only made me incredibly happy, but he had also assuaged my fears that he might not even want children. I hugged him tight, happy tears streaming down my face. "Thank you Edward, I love you so much."

He smiled down at me, looking every inch an angel and slowly bent his head down to brush my lips with his. I responded eagerly, and the fire his lips ignited in me was all encompassing. We eventually parted, thanks to my current need for oxygen, but I was secretly was thrilled at the thought of the practise we could get in before the wedding.

Not really wishing for company at that moment, we lay in the meadow, basking in happiness and started running through possible names for our children. "Well for a boy, we could call him Edward," I suggested.

Edward scrunched his nose up, "I don't think so love, remember that he's going to eventually look older than us, and how are we going to explain why we're both called Edward- besides, it's not that great having the same name as your father."

I pouted, "Well how about Masen then? I think that would be a great name for a boy"

He grinned, "I like it- unusual, but it works." I smiled up at him. "We could also call him Charles," he suggested.

I smiled, "Maybe, or Carlisle could be a possible middle name."

Edward nodded in agreement. "What about girls? Have you thought of any possible names?"

"Yep, in fact for a middle name I was thinking of either Renesme, for Renee and Esme, or Rosemary for Alice and Rose."

He frowned in confusion, "How does Rosemary represent Rose and Alice?"

"Well we aren't having our daughter named Rice or Asilie, so I used Alice's first name- Mary, instead." I explained.

"Oh," he nodded thoughtfully.

"I also thought of some other possible names- Elizabeth for your mother," he smiled fondly at me, and caressed me cheek, "Or Charlize for Carlisle and Charlie, or even Jemma for Emmett and Jasper."

He smiled, "I think they are all good names, love, we'll just have to figure out which ones to use and in what order.

I nodded, "Well we'll have plenty of time seeing that our baby isn't conceived yet."

I was about to say more when an ecstatic Alice burst into the meadow. "Bella! As soon as Edward made his decision I saw your babies!" she squealed. He eyes were sparkling and her whole body was vibrating with excitement.

I leapt up. "You did! That's wonderful. What does our baby look like?" I demanded. Then her words properly registered. 'Did you say babies? As in plural?" I asked.

She nodded excitedly. "Yes, you two are going to be the proud parents of twin girls."

My jaw dropped open for a second before I beamed. I looked up at Edward and tipped my head up, joining him in an exultant kiss."

The kiss was short however, since Alice quickly pulled out colour drawings that were so good they looked like photographs. "Here they are guys, aren't they adorable? Oh I can't wait to go shopping for them."

Edward and I ripped the pages out of her hand, quickly flipping through them. The first was two newborns, in Edward's and my arms- I was still human, although I looked incredibly pale. We were each holding a wrapped baby, only their serene faces showing. Both had Edward's angular features, but with slightly more rounded faces, and small amounts of brown hair.

In the next I had been changed- my blood red eyes giving away my newborn status. This time the whole family was there and Edward and I were each holding a baby- but this time they looked to be a couple of months old- so I surmised that it must have been a couple of days. Their hair was longer, and was a rich mahogany brown with streaks of bronze through it. But it was their eyes that amazed me. They were the most unique shade of hazel I had ever seen- a rich emerald green with flecks of chocolate brown through them. "They're so beautiful," I whispered, stroking my fingers over the pages.

"Little angels," Edward agreed softly, his tone incredibly tender.

We continued through the rest of the sketches; snapshots of them as they grew older- there was one of them with Emmett, looking to be about twelve, and they were hunting a bear, and another with Jasper play fighting with both of them. There were many of them with Esme, Rosalie and Alice, as well as lots of Edward and I with the twins.

"Thank you Alice," I said, tears in my eyes. 'I can't wait for our little girls to be born."

Edward agreed softly. He seemed much more relaxed now that he'd seen that I would survive the birth of our children.

Eventually we headed back- only Rosalie knew at the moment, but she hadn't seen the pictures yet, because Alice felt that we should see them first. The others only knew that something important had happened and that Edward and I would have an announcement when we arrived home.

It was time to tell the Cullen's.


	39. Confrontation

BPOV

Alice ran home while Edward and I went back to the car and drove to the Cullen's. I was nervous, but fairly sure that the whole family would be pleased with our announcement, if a little shocked. Edward and I couldn't stop smiling though at the thought of our baby girls.

We didn't even try and contain our matching smiles as we entered the house. The whole family had already gathered downstairs, and appeared to be waiting for us. Esme rushed up to hug us. "Welcome home," she said softly as she smiled welcomingly at us.

"Thank you Esme," we hugged her back.

Then Jasper jumped in. "Will someone please tell me what has both of you so incredibly ecstatic, Alice happier than a trip to the mall, and Rosalie more hopeful than I've ever felt before?" Emmett, Carlisle and Esme turned to look at him curiously before observing the rest of us suspiciously.

Edward and I beamed and I looked up at him, silently urging him to be the one to tell them. He put him arm around my waist and squeezed as he looked at them. "Bella and I have decided that after graduation we will have some children," he announced proudly.

Jasper and Emmett froze and looked at us incredulously. Esme and Carlisle looked confused, yet hopeful, and I had no doubt their minds were running over just how that would be possible. Rosalie jumped up off the couch and hugged us. "I'm so happy for you both. I'm going to be an auntie!"

"Wait a second." Carlisle interrupted. "How exactly are you planning to conceive?" His eyes were alight with curiosity.

"Well, believe it or not Carlisle, it is possible for a human female to conceive half-vampire children with a vampire male," I explained. Carlisle's expression changed immediately to intrigue at the possibility. But before he could open his mouth to ask more questions Esme hugged us again. She looked like she would be crying if she could.

"I can't believe I'm going to be a grandma," her tone was awed. "This is wonderful."

We sat down with them after that and explained just how it was going to work, with Edward stressing how dangerous it was going to be for me. Thankfully though, after Alice's visions he was at least a little less worried, since we now knew that the most likely outcome would be me surviving and giving birth to the twins before being turned.

When we casually mentioned that Alice had had a vision of us having twins the entire family burst with happiness. I gave them the books as well, which they all took turns speed reading, and when we explained our plans Emmett was the first to volunteer his services. "Woohoo, I'll catch you some grizzlies Bells, trust me, they taste way better than deer." The others also all promised to hunt more often and build up a bank of blood for me to drink while I was pregnant and for the twins when they were born. Carlisle was also enthusiastic to help, and fascinated by the medical aspects of it. The others were also more than eager, and I realised that by the time our wedding came around we were all going to be very impatient for the babies to arrive.

Esme, Alice and Rosalie were already planning tons of baby shopping expeditions, since the babies would grow fast and we would need lots of clothes for them. Emmett was already wondering whether he could get any child friendly video games for the twins to play, and Jasper had claimed the right to teach his baby nieces how to read. I knew my family would be wonderful at helping Edward and I raise our daughters.

Alice also showed the rest of the family the pictures she had made of our baby girls. They all aawed over the pictures, and I could tell that they were already falling in love with them. Emmett was a little dismayed at first that he wasn't going to get a nephew to play football and baseball with, but we a assured him that if they wanted to learn he could teach his little nieces instead.

Emmett and Jasper snickered and I looked at them suspiciously as Edward groaned and buried his head in his hands. "What?"

"Can you imagine how hard it's going to be for Edward when you two daughters grow up? He's going to have to listen to the thoughts of tons of red blooded teenage males lusting not only after his wife, but his daughters as well," Emmett and Jasper chocked out as they laughed.

I glared. "In case you've forgotten, I have a shield that can block Edward so that he won't hear their thoughts," I pointed out defensively as I rubbed Edward's knee soothingly.

They shrugged and seemed a little disappointed as Edward calmed down slightly. I decided that it was time to call Volterra and let them know in case Aro had any additional information for me, since he had seen the thoughts of the vampire who had sired the hybrids, and the hybrids themselves.

Aro was ecstatic when I announced what Edward and I were planning, although he admitted that he wasn't surprised. "I noticed when you last visited that you had stolen those books, so my brothers and I were expecting this call, although I imagine that Edward did not take it well" he observed.

"No," I admitted, 'But he's come around now, and Alice had already seen that we will have twin girls."

"Daughters! How wonderful Bella!" he exclaimed, and in the background come noises of excitement from the others. "You shall have to visit with them once they are born- we would love to meet them. In fact we may even come out of Volterra ourselves and visit you ourselves if you take too long, after all, your children will be Volturi princesses as well," he pointed out.

I smiled, "Well you know you're all welcome to visit," I pointed out.

We continued catching up, and he promised that if he thought of anything that he hadn't added to the books he would let us know.

I eventually went home later that evening. Charlie seemed pleased that I had had a good visit and that I was back, and I had admittedly missed him more than I had realised. Despite the fact that we were both quiet people, we got along extremely well with our companionable silence.

Edward appeared shortly after I went to bed for the night. I immediately knew something was wrong when he froze next to the window, eyes wide and nostrils flaring. "What's wrong?" I asked concerned.

"A vampire's been in your room." I stopped short and looked around critically. When I had arrived home, I had just chucked my bags into my room and went back downstairs to cook dinner for Charlie. Now that I really looked I noticed immediately that my pillow was gone.

I looked around some more, and the clothes basket that I had left my favourite shirt in to be washed was also gone. "My pillow and some of my clothes are missing," I muttered, frowning, "Why would a vampire have been here?" My first thought had been that it had been Emmett in my room setting up some kind of practical joke while I was away, but I knew Edward wouldn't have reacted this badly if it had been a member of his family in my room.

"I don't know," he frowned, and came towards me, pulling me into his arms as if he was afraid that at any moment the vampire would come back and snatch me from him. He loosened one arm to pull out his phone and call the others. I remained quiet, my mind utterly confused as I tried to come up with a possible reason that a vampire would enter my room, steal my pillow and clothes, and then leave again without snacking on my father- although I was immensely thankful they hadn't.

Soon enough Jasper, Emmett and Carlisle appeared outside my window, all of them looking worried. Carlisle stayed with me while the guys ran off to track the scent. We spent the next couple of hours talking about my pregnancy plans and refining them while we anxiously waited to find out if the guys could find the elusive vampire, or at least some clues as to why they'd been here.

I jumped to my feet as I felt them enter the range of my shield. They all crowded into my room, Edward immediately encasing me in his arms and burying his face in my hair. I could tell from their still frustrated and worried expressions that they hadn't had much luck. "Find anything?" Carlisle asked.

Jasper shook his head. "Nothing. The trail ended just outside of Forks- must have gotten into a car, and there's no way of telling which direction he went in."

I sighed. It seemed that I would be requiring a visit from my guards after all. I disengaged myself from Edward and picked up my phone from my bedside table before sitting down on the bed. Edward joined me as I speed dialled Volterra. They were surprised to hear from me so soon. "Bella! Twice in one day! Do you have more good news for us? Perhaps an early pregnancy?" Aro asked hopefully. For a three thousand year old vampire he could be incredibly impatient.

"Sorry Aro, but I'm not calling with any good news. When I got home tonight we found that a strange vampire had been in my room and they've stolen my pillow and some of my clothes."

Immediately Demetri was at the phone. "Things with your scent?" he sounded worried, and Edward immediately stiffened beside me.

"Yes, why?"

"The only reason a vampire would have to steal your scent would be so that they can send other vampires to you," he explained. Edward then told him how far they'd been able to track the vampire and explained that it was no one he, or any of the others, recognised.

"Well Bella, Felix and I will be there in a few days, have Edward find something in your room with this vampire's scent on it and put it in a sealed bag for me. We'll find out who wants to steal from our princess," Demetri rarely got annoyed, but he took his job as my guard seriously and he wasn't about to let anything hurt me.

When I hung up Edward walked around the room before picking up one of my scarves and putting it in a bag. I frowned, apparently the vampire had stopped to snoop through all of my things if he had touched my scarves. I shuddered at the thought. Creepy.

I turned towards my bed, but I really didn't feel like sleeping on a bed that had had a strange vampire all over it, and I was down one pillow. I huffed in frustration. Luckily though, my own personal psychic sister pooped through the window with her impeccable timing. She was bearing new sheets, a comforter and new pillows. I sighed in relief. "Alice you're a lifesaver."

She winked at me, "I know." She left with the guys and after Edward and I made the bed with my new linens I lay down, trying to calm my mind so that I could sleep. Edward's grip on me was tighter that night, and I could tell that he wouldn't be letting me go anywhere without him until this strange vampire was found.

School was incredibly boring now, since Edward and I already knew everything and were both waiting impatiently for graduation so that we could get married and start our family. We had finally begun to go further with our practising, and so far we had both received only intense pleasure- Edward had never hurt me.

True to their word, two days after finding out that a strange vampire had been in my room we got back to the Cullens after school to find Demetri and Felix ensconced on the couch versing Emmett at Crysis.

They jumped up and hugged me as I walked in the door, before immediately settling their posture into their stern guardian poses.

Demetri got right down to business. While he could be almost as fun loving as Emmett when he relaxed, but he was first and foremost my guard, and he was every inch my solemn protector. Likewise, Felix looked almost menacing, and both of them were now scanning the surroundings periodically for any signs of a threat.

EPOV

I was furious and worried. Having a vampire get into Bella's room was a nightmare. I couldn't help but wonder what would have happened if the vampire had still been there when Bella had come home- would they have been able to resist the lure of her sweet blood? Admittedly Bella was pretty good at defending herself from surprise attacks thanks to Emmett and her guards, but that didn't mean there wasn't a large risk that she would have been hurt before she could get her shield up.

I was angry at myself for having left Bella in that position- I should have checked to make sure that she was perfectly safe before I had let her go home to Charlie. Admittedly, it was likely that if there had been a vampire in the house I would have been able to hear their thoughts when I dropped her off, but there was always the off chance that a vampire would possess Bella's silent mind- my gift was no guarantee that no one was there.

Jasper and I set off with Felix and Demetri, leaving Bella safe and protected by my family. When we left she had already taken Felix's controller and was proceeding to beat Emmett at his favourite game. We took them to her house to start off, and I handed Demetri the sealed bag that had the scarf with the strange vampire's scent on it. He immediately turned, already focussed and took off quickly following the trail my brothers and I had taken a few days ago when our attempt to track him had failed.

Through reading Demetri's mind I could see that tracking a scent wasn't his usual method. Generally he sensed the tenor of a person's mind and tracked them through that. The exception of course was Bella. Over the last decade he had managed to hone his scent tracking skills immensely since he couldn't track Bella through her mind. When we stopped at the highway where my brothers and I had lost the scent Demetri only paused for a second before continuing- running in the trees close to the road.

I realised that he had changed tack. He was now tracking a tiny scent of Bella from the stolen clothing and pillows. He was so honed to her scent by now that it was easier than looking for the slight scent of a strange vampire. We followed him all the way to an abandoned car in the outskirts of Seattle. The car strongly held the scent of the strange vampire, as well as the slight scent of my beautiful Bella. From there tracking the scent was easier; even Jasper and I could follow it.

Suddenly Demetri varied off course, slowing as he entered an industrial district. He'd caught the tenor of a mind that matched the scent. The strange vampire was close.

I reached out with my ability, searching for the mind as I followed fast on Demetri's tail. As we entered an area of warehouses, most of which looked empty, I finally heard a new voice in my mind. It was a vampire. I raced past Demetri, using my extra speed to take off after this vampire. As I ran my rage quickly built. When I was close I caught his scent. It was the same scent that had been all over Bella's room, and my anger spiked.

At the back of my mind I vaguely noticed the others racing after me, but I was faster. I raced after the vampire. He barely had time to turn around when he heard me coming before I grabbed him by the throat and slammed him into the ground, thunder resonating around us from my impact. The road we were on cracked as he slammed headfirst into it. His mind was filled with confusion and an instinctive need to fight back. He threw us both back up, flipping over and trying to pin me with his superior strength, but I was faster. I was out from under him and before he could turn I kicked out at him hard, sending him face first into the road. I flipped him to face me and grabbed his throat again, holding him down. As his strong newborn arms came up to rid his throat of my hand I quickly grabbed one and ripped it off, growling menacingly. I threw it behind me and slammed his other arm into the ground. I was absolutely furious that he dared to come anywhere near my mate, and my vampire instincts were furious.

He thrashed around, but with his arm and throat held he couldn't move as I continued to snarl at him. "How dare you threaten my mate!" His thrashing slowed at my words as his mind analysed them. He smelt Bella's scent on me and it clicked. He pictured her room as he walked around it before stealing the things with her scent on them. My growling got louder as Jasper and Demetri arrived.

This vampire took one look at Demetri's blood red eyes and his fear was amplified. Jasper pushed even more fear onto him until he was immobilised with it. "Why were you in my mate's room?" I demanded, bringing his focus back to me. His mind immediately ran to thoughts of a very familiar flame-haired vampire ordering him to go and collect some of Bella's scent. I roared in anger as I saw her face. "Victoria." Behind me Jasper and Demetri stiffened. It was a confirmation of what we had already guessed.

"Where is she?" I demanded. This vampire, who I had now identified as Riley, was terrified and confused. He had no idea that I could read his mind, and Victoria had told him that the 'golden eyes' were weak. That was why he had been much more frightened by Demetri. However, after my vicious attack he was petrified of all of us. "I don't know," he pleaded, "Victoria only comes once a day for a report on how her army is doing and then leaves, she never tells me anything, and the others have never seen her." From his mind I could see that Victoria had manipulated him. He believed and trusted her absolutely, and without Jasper's talent he would never have confessed even this much. His mind though showed the information he was withholding. Victoria had told him some of the plan. In a few days time Riley was to lead the army towards the Olympic peaks and give them Bella's possessions. He was to tell them that there would be weak gold-eyed vampires guarding her, and whoever got to her first could have her.

I growled as I saw their conversation play out in his thoughts. I picked him up and threw him away. He landed with a crash down the street, digging a hole into the road. A tiny part of my mind was thankful that this area was abandoned, and I couldn't hear the thoughts of anyone except Riley, Felix, Jasper and Demetri. "Tell Victoria we will be waiting, and we'll tear her and her army apart," I snarled. "She'll kill you and your precious mate," he sneered, before glaring at me, picking up his arm and running off into the darkness. I was pleased that his thoughts were only of getting to Victoria and warning her of his run-in with us.

I turned to the others. "Let's go." I turned and ran, eager to get back to Bella. I had a sudden urge to have her in my arms and make absolutely certain she was safe. As we ran back I told the others what I had seen in his mind. They were furious about the threat on Bella and the family. Jasper's mind immediately tuned to battle strategies.

My fury did not abate until we were back in the house again and Bella was in my arms, as I hugged her to me. She hugged me back, "Hey, it's alright, I'm right here and nobody could ever take me away from you," she whispered. I calmed quickly as I breathed in her scent. Once a torment, her scent was now a reassurance that she was alive. We quickly told them all we knew, and then Alice told us of the vision she had had just before we came back. Victoria had finally decided. Her army would be coming on the weekend. Alice could already see us fighting in the large clearing we normally used for baseball. Felix, Demetri and Emmett were eager for the fight. Bella was too. Her eyes were sparkling with anticipation and I sighed, resigned to the fact that, as much as I wanted to protect her, I couldn't deny her her fun.


	40. Combat

BPOV

The next few days dragged on during school as we all made our plans for the weekend. Alice had already arranged with Charlie for me to spend the whole weekend including Friday night with her and Rosalie, and Charlie was going fishing with Billy in La Push, which relieved me, as at least there would be some werewolves to protect him if any of the vampires got away. Jasper and Felix trained the others on how to fight newborns, not that we had too many worries about being harmed, since I would be shielding them all.

Demetri and Felix were my constant shadows, and Edward seemed quite pleased with my extra protection. I was a little annoyed, since it meant that Edward and I had no privacy. They stayed in the forest, close enough that they could hear me at all times. It was very annoying at night as it put a stop to mine and Edward's practise for the wedding night. Lying beside Edward every night- pressed up against the body that I had now fully mapped out using sight, smell and taste- without being able to do anything was exceptionally frustrating.

Edward had it worse though. On the first night I woke up in the middle of the night to find a pained Edward beside me. I had been rubbing up against him and moaning in my sleep, and there was nothing he could do about it. The next few nights weren't any better for Edward, and I knew it was pointless to ask Demetri and Felix to give us some alone time with a group of newborns heading for us. So we sucked it up, and I was left impatiently waiting for the weekend so that I could destroy the newborns and Edward and I could get back to practising for the honeymoon.

One of the things that intruded on our anticipation for the weekend was a visit from Jacob during the week. The mangy mutt had the audacity to visit us after school one afternoon. Edward and I were in the kitchen making dinner, and Felix was out in the woods, within hearing distance. Edward had his arms around me as I leaned into him while stirring the spaghetti sauce on the stove. I knew something was wrong when he tensed suddenly. "What's wrong?" I turned in his arms to get a look at him.

His face was hard. "One of the dogs is on his way here." Sure enough, there was soon a quick know on the door. Before I could go and open it the presumptuous dog let himself in.

I glared at him, from the living room, still in Edward's arms. "Were you never taught any manners? You're meant to wait until you're invited in before you come inside Jacob," I said in a harsh voice. My week of frustration and tenseness while waiting for the fight meant that Jacob acting like he owned the joint riled me up much more than usual.

He shrugged, but his calm posture was betrayed by his eyes, which were bright and eager as he sized up Edward behind me. I rolled my eyes. Somehow, he still couldn't quite fathom that out of Edward and I, I was the one most likely to hurt him. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Edward smirk at something Jacob though before he leant down and gently kissed the side of my throat. I couldn't stop the shiver of desire that ran through me, and as he moved back I could feel the smugness in him at drawing such a reaction from me.

Jacob glared at us. "Careful leech. One tiny nick with your teeth and it will be war, and we'd love to rip you and your family apart."

I glared right back at Jacob, annoyed beyond measure at his interfering. "Why are you here Jacob?" I demanded.

"I'm here to remind you of the terms of the treaty- if any of your bloodsuckers bites-not kills- a human, then the treaty is void. So as soon as they change you, we can kill them." His eyes lit up in anticipation.

I was angry. I pushed out a shield and held Jacob up against the wall, advancing on him and levitating myself up until my eyes were level with his. I felt a perverse sense of pleasure when I saw the fear now glimmering in his previously confident eyes. "Listen up you arrogant dog," I hissed at him. "I am well aware of the treaty, and you have no right to waltz into my house and order me around. You are alive because I have allowed you to live. I could easily have killed you for lunging at me during our first encounter in the woods. Do not try my patience because I may not be so lenient in the future." He seemed to be finally getting the message. "As for changing me, that can be done without biting me." That stopped both Jacob and Edward in their tracks and they looks at me in surprise. "I suppose it never occurred to you Jacob that the venom can be directly injected by syringe did it?" He glared venomously at us, but was still held up against the wall and slightly fearful, so he stayed silent.

I let him go."Now run along back to your pack like a good dog and let them know." He turned and made his way outside, keeping a distrustful eye on us.

Once Edward relaxed I knew Jacob was out of range. I leant back into his reassuring embrace and sighed. "His pack is a bunch of immature puppies. If they came after us I could take them all out in the blink of an eye- not that I would, since Billy Black is Charlie's best friend- but I could."

Edward chuckled. "Indeed love. Now why don't you tell me more about changing you with injections?"

"The Volturi has been using it for years to change people- much safer than biting and risking the loss of control don't you think?"

"Yes, I quite favour the idea myself. No doubt Carlisle will be interested."

I went back to making dinner while I explained the logistics of using syringes of venom to change me- the bonus in this method being that, if large amounts of venom were injected directly into my heart the change would only take two days instead of three- a much happier prospect, which Edward was inordinately pleased with.

Unfortunately, our encounter with Jacob was the only interesting event during the week and as the weekend neared I was bursting with anticipation. As far as Charlie knew, while he would be spending the weekend with Billy in La Push, I would be sleeping over with Alice and Rosalie while Edward and his brothers were off camping. It was to be one of our last sleepovers before graduation, which was coming up in a week. None of the vampires were particularly enthusiastic about graduating again. They had begun dropping their grades slightly, so that they did not get awarded valediction, as they felt it should go to a deserving human classmate. I did the same, since I had had the advantages of vampire teachers all my life, and I didn't really have any interest in the award. Luckily, according to Edward, who had kept a watch on the minds of the teachers, Angela and Ben were neck and neck for it.

The only other break in the week was when Rose and I got our Car and Driver magazines. I rushed into the Cullen mansion after school, Edward trailing behind as I waved my magazine. "Rose, have you seen the new Bugatti Veyron SuperSport?" I called enthusiastically.

"Yes, and did you see that BMW is going to make and M6?" she was beside me in an instant, and oblivious to everyone else we made our way to the lounge chatting enthusiastically.

"I can't wait until the supersport Bugatti is released! I have to have one." Growing up with speeding vampires had left me with a need for speed that was only appeased by owning the fastest cars in the world.

"Well then you'll have to let me drive it. Personally, I'm really looking forward to the M6, although we'll have to wait a few years for it to come out." We continued our debate on the pros and cons of some concept cars for hours. After a while even Edward got bored and left in search of his brothers.

When it was time for me to go home to Charlie, Edward had to drag me out as I continued to debate with Rosalie on whether we needed to buy a 2011 Corvette stingray convertible when it came out. I very unwillingly got into the car for Edward to drive us home, still not done talking about cars, however Edward made it up to me by pulling off into a dirt track so we could spend some time properly making out in the backseat of his Volvo before going home. Demetri and Felix were waiting, annoyance clear on their faces as we registered just how late we were when we finally arrived. Charlie bought the excuse that Alice had kept me late with wedding details, and after scarfing a few slices of pizza I was soon snuggled into bed with my personal Greek god.

The weekend arrived after a long and tedious week of school. I waved to Charlie after dinner on Friday night and sped eagerly off to the Cullen house. Edward, Felix, Demetri and Alice left for the evening to hunt, while the others had gone during the day while we were at school. They all wanted to be as strong as possible for the fight, despite the fact that it would be no problem for us to win. Demetri and Felix had decided that animal blood was better than no blood, so they were tagging along.

Carlisle and Esme would be sitting out the fight, for they were too tender-hearted to actually participate if it was not necessary for the survival of their family- and I couldn't blame them. In fact, they weren't even going to be at the clearing. They would be waiting close to the edge of Forks, in case some of the vampires were to veer off and head towards town before making it to the clearing. They would stop any vampires that were after anyone in town, although I felt relieved that Charlie was going to be in La Push.

The rest of us were eager for the fight, and I spent much of Friday night restless with anticipation, while fending off most of Alice's over-the-top wedding ideas, and approving others. When I woke on Saturday morning Edward was back, and I opened my eyes to look directly into his butterscotch ones. I sighed happily. I always felt better with Edward close by. All thoughts of the upcoming fight were lost as I looked into his stunning face and reached up for my morning kiss. He indulged me for longer than usual and, despite the fact that we could hear the rest of the family moving restlessly around downstairs, we spent the better part of the morning making out- unwilling to go further with eight vampires listening.

Eventually though, around noon time, Alice bounded into the room, with no thought given at all to knocking. "Bella! How do you feel about this wedding cake?" she thrust a photo at me of a cake that was five feet tall. It was shaped two swans, with their necks arched towards each other to make the shape of a heart, and wreathes of flowers around their necks.

My eyes went wide and I groaned. Alice, this is far too big- I'm not planning on inviting the whole town!" She pouted at me and I relented. "But if you can get them to make a smaller version- maybe one foot tall instead, then I think it would be lovely," I admitted. It was a beautiful cake after all, and I thought the swans were perfect, but as usual Alice's enthusiasm had led to some over-the-top ideas.

She beamed at me and zipped back out of the room. I fell back down onto Edward's chest and heaved a sigh. "It's time to get up isn't it?"

"Yes, I'll make you breakfast while you shower," he promised. I nodded and reluctantly extracted myself from his arms. I leant down and kissed him before heading into the bathroom.

After a yummy breakfast, where I marvelled over how good a cook Edward was, we headed out to the garage, where Edward began packing camping gear. Emmett and Rosalie had already left for the clearing, where we were all planning to spend the night in wait for the vampires who were set to arrive early in the morning. I was the only one that actually needed camping gear of course.

Alice came out with a wedding file and joined me watching Edward select from the range of brand new camping equipment stored in the garage. "Pack for cold weather," she advised him. "There's going to be a blizzard tonight." I shivered at the thought, and Edward looked for warmer gear while I made decisions for our wedding with occasional inputs from Edward.

Thankfully packing gear for me to camp for the night did not take very long, and Edward and I were soon headed towards the baseball clearing that would become a battleground tomorrow. Beside us ran Jasper and Alice, along with Felix and Demetri who were carrying the backpacks Edward had packed for me. Carlisle and Esme had bid us goodbye and good luck, and Alice had promised to keep them updated via cell phone tomorrow.

When we arrived we found and enthusiastic Emmett stacking spare branches of wood next to an enormous bonfire in the middle of the clearing. It was already ten feet wide, yellow flames crackling amidst the branches Emmett had piled onto it. He grinned at us as we came to a stop beside him. "What do you think? I thought with the cold weather and all, that this would keep Bella warm." I was touched by his thoughtfulness and I hopped off Edward's back and hugged him.

"Thank you Emmett." He smiled down at me.

"No problem Bells."

While Edward and Jasper set about putting up me tent and various other things they had brought with them for my comfort I took the bags of donor blood that Carlisle had acquired and, following Alice's directions, I laid a trail of blood and my scent to draw the newborns into the clearing tomorrow. Alice assured me that my scent coupled with the smell of blood would send the newborns crazy and lead them straight to us.

When I got back I found a cosy tent set up near the bonfire with an inflatable mattress and a thermal sleeping bag inside, along with a couple of thick parkas. All in all, it looked rather comfortable.

That night, true to Alice's word the weather worsened until it was freezing cold and snowing outside my tent. Inside the tent Edward and I shared the mattress, with him outside my cosy warm sleeping bag. Thankfully though, due to Emmett's thoughtfulness I was toasty warm, as the heat from the bonfire seeped through the tent and warmed me and Edward. In fact, Edward was almost warm to touch- an aspect I would have shamelessly taken advantage of had there not been six vampires outside the tent chatting quietly and making sure that the bonfire was fed regularly.

Between my frustration at having Edward so close and warm without being able to do anything, and my feelings of anticipation for tomorrow I was having trouble calming down enough to sleep. Finally Edward murmured, "A little help Jasper," and my eyes immediately started to droop as a feeling of intense calm and sleepiness washed over me. Instead of fighting it, I allowed myself to succumb and drifted quickly off into a deep slumber.

I awoke the next morning to Edward's excited golden eyes, and when we exited the tent we found that the weather had abated. I ate quickly as Edward packed away everything. Around me all the vampires paced impatiently, except Alice who sat calmly beside me. "Another hour until they get here, and their current number stands at twenty-two," she informed us. I finished up quickly then, and joined in the impatient waiting.

Finally, after what seemed to be an eternity Alice stiffened. "There here," she breathed.

I cast out a shield and I could feel the quick movements of a whole herd of racing vampires. Knowing they would soon be here I placed shields around all of us. Emmett put more wood on his bonfire.

Finally we saw them as they entered the clearing. All had a single-minded focus on me- the delicious smelling human. They raced for me, and as the last entered the clearing I threw a large dome shield around the entire clearing to keep them in- the last thing we needed was for them to escape.

I could have simply crushed them all with a shield now, and put their pieces on the bonfire. But where's the fun in that? Besides, Emmett would kill me if I destroyed his fun, and after he provided me with a bonfire last night I was feeling pretty charitable.

Jasper was the first to leap into action as the twenty newborns neared us at a full run. All were concentrated solely on me- the delicious source of blood. Jasper leaped gracefully through the air to grab the heads of two vampires. He kicked out into their chests while twisting the heads. Their bodies flew back from Jasper, their heads remained in his hands and he quickly tossed them into the fire before continuing onto the next newborn in his path. The rest of us were only milliseconds behind him. Emmett was like a bear, tearing the newborns apart, while Alice and Rosalie still managed to look like they were on a runway while dodging snapping jaws and tearing off limbs. Felix and Demetri were very business-like, only their eyes gave away their excitement. Edward dispatched of the newborns with litheness. Even while wielding my shields and crushing vampires into pieces I could not help but sneak peeks at his supple form, and watch the muscles of his back and chest play under his shirt. I momentarily considered taking his shield down for a tiny second- just long enough for a newborn to rip the shirt that was obstructing my view, but I squelched that urge.

Edward, Felix and Demetri still stayed close to me, keeping a protective eye on me just in case, but I was used to it, so I ignored them and continued on happily until I felt something at my personal shield. Turning, I was hit again, and although it didn't hurt, I was confused since I could not see any physical attack. Edward had also turned and was looking at me with worry and panic. It suddenly clicked as I felt a continual pounding and groping of my shield- very close to my skin. An invisible vampire. Never was I more thankful for my shields, for without them I would have been dead (although Edward would not have allowed me to be in this situation without them anyway).

However, invisibility was no match for my shields. I felt out with a new shield and cloaked the vampire in it. As a flexed the shield and crushed the vampire slightly their invisibility dropped off them. I took a momentary glance at the vampire that had gotten so close; he stared back with crazed red eyes. He was a fairly non-decrepit man, and even with vampiric looks he was still ordinary. I had no doubt that he had been a quintessential wallflower before being turned. Nevertheless, he had annoyed me, and I crushed his body into pieces with my shield before throwing them on the fire.

Edward, who had stopped fighting when he heard the thoughts of the invisible vampire, was in the arms of a newborn, but surrounded in my shield he could not be crushed. Instead he ripped both arms off the vampire and then destroyed the rest of her body.

With more than half the newborns already burning I realised that Victoria was not among the group. I cast out a shield into the forest, searching for her. I was sure she would have stayed nearby to watch. Sure enough I found her and a second vampire about two miles away and up in a tall tree. I opened my mind to Edward and he nodded as I showed him where she was.

I hopped up on his back and was exited the large dome shield that was still around the shield, stopping some of the newborns from leaving. He ran us towards Victoria.

I took the opportunity to meld myself into his back and breathe in his delicious scent. Coupled with his display of strength I was feeling more than a little aroused. Edward groaned and I knew he could smell it. "Not now Bella," he scolded me gently, but I could hear the reciprocal longing in his voice. I sighed and refocussed my thoughts. I made certain that all of my shields were still holding and then cast another shield around the trees in Victoria's vicinity. This time she was not going anywhere.

Thanks to Edwards speed it did not take long for us to near Victoria's perch. We were only thirty feet from the tree she shared with Riley when Edward put me down. I looked up into the tree. Victoria's flaming red hair stood out amongst the dark forest as her eyes bored intensely into mine. She seemed solely focussed on me. Edward let loose a snarl, and I assumed that her thoughts had been on hurting me. He advanced a step but I stopped him. "No," he paused and looked at me questioningly. "She's mine. You can have Riley." He looked like he was going to protest until he saw the determination on my face. He gave a small nod and sent a glare to Riley, who stood beside Victoria.

Less than a second later Victoria's incredulous laugh rang as she and Riley jumped from their perch to land with a muted thud on the forest floor. "You think you can hurt me little girl?" she snarled. "I'm going to destroy you- a fitting retribution since your mate killed my James. Then I'm going to leave your mate alive so he can feel what it's like to be in such pain." She advanced on me and seemed shocked when I smirked. Riley was dividing his focus. He alternated between looking at me with dark hungry eyes, and glaring at Edward, who was slowly closing in on him. Victoria's mind was solely on killing me.

"I'm going to kill you." I always liked to be as honest as possible. She looked decidedly unimpressed with my warning, and disbelieving, maybe at my words, or perhaps at my bravado in the face of an angry vampire. She lunged and closed a hand around my shield covered throat. Mentally I assured Edward that I was fine, and I saw him refocus and tear into Riley.

Victoria looked triumphant, but a little confused. "Hmm, you must not mean as much to Edward as I thought. Perhaps you are simply a plaything. He is not defending you at all, this is most disappointing- I was sure I would have to go to far more trouble to get to you than this. Instead he brings you straight to me and allows me to kill you without a fight." She stopped her musing there. "Still, you will make a delicious snack- I can see why my James was so set on you." Her eyes were alight with vengeance.

I had had enough of standing still. I used my shield to slice off the hand holding my throat. It fell to the ground and Victoria stepped back in shock. "I warned you," I snarled, as I stepped towards her. She looked around, but by that time Riley was in pieces and she had nowhere left to run. She looked longingly at her hand, which was at my feet before turning to escape. I let her go, and after a few steps she ran into my invisible wall. Hissing in frustration she punched out, but my wall didn't move. She turned as I closed in on her, desperation in her eyes.

She lunged at me, a vicious snarl loosing itself from her throat. I caught her with shield covered hands and, using my shield again as a blade, I dismembered her as she tried to fight me. With a screech her limbs tore apart and her existence was at an end. I looked over at Edward, who was watching me with the same look I was sure had been on my face when he had been fighting the newborns, a mix of lust and excitement.

Unfortunately, both of us knew that now was not the time to let loose such feelings, so we concentrated on building a small fire and throwing every last piece of Victoria and Riley into it. We stood there and watched as their bodies quickly burned into ashes.

When all that was left were scattered ashes we left and headed back to the others. I made a tiny hole in the shield around the field for us to go through and closed it a millisecond later. While we were away the rest of the newborns had been destroyed. All that was left was a huge bonfire spewing purple smoke. I cast out to make sure, but there were no other vampires around. I sighed and lowered the shields surrounding my family members, snapping back my mental shield from Edward. He sighed- he loved hearing my uncensored thoughts, but I loved that they were a secret from him.

I went to lower the shield around the field and realised that the La Push wolf pack was outside it. Some of them were pressed up against it, trying to get past my blockade. I had no idea how long they'd been there. At the same time Edward turned, having heard their thoughts now that there were no newborn thoughts to distract him. "The wolves want to talk," he informed us. I let down the shield and the loped towards us. My family congregated ion a protective stance near me.

The largest black wolf trotted quickly off into the forest. Soon Sam came back in human form. "We want to thank you for destroying the vampires, since they were so close to Forks and La Push." He explained, "Although we cannot say that we are not disappointed that we did not get the chance to kill them ourselves."

"We could not take the chance that many would escape and make it into town or the reservation," Edward stated coldly, "And twenty-two newborns would have been far too many for your pack to take on by themselves," he pointed out. There were a few grumbles from some of the wolves.

"Nevertheless, because we have seen you kill your own kind in order to keep Forks safe we will not bother you again. Jacob has informed us of Bella's impending change, and as it will not technically break the treaty we will not be declaring war." I breathed a sigh of relief. While I would always protect my family, there would have been no pleasure in having to hurt the children of my father's best friends.

"Thank you," Edward said, giving Sam a slight smile.

Sam nodded once again and then he and his pack left. The russet wolf was the last to turn and he glared at me as he did so.

The ending of the day was rather melodramatic as I we reunited with Esme and Carlisle and related the story of the fight. We then bid goodbye to Felix and Demetri. I hugged both of them goodbye. They patted me on the back. "I guess all our training came in handy after all hey Bella?" Demetri chuckled before they left for the airport. The next time they saw me I would be a vampire.

Charlie grinned when I got home, and proceeded to tell me about his day fishing with Billy at La Push- a perfectly normal day. I listened quietly, glad that he was completely oblivious to how close a coven of hungry newborn vampires had gotten to him today.

The true highlight of my day was that night. With no outside audience, and Charlie sleeping like a log, Edward and I were back enthusiastically practising for the honeymoon and making up for lost time.


	41. Weddings and Honeymoons

My last week of school was uneventful, which was in many ways a relief after the fighting the newborns and all of the anticipation leading up to that. With my wedding coming up soon I managed to convince Alice not to throw a graduation party, telling her that we could concentrate more on our wedding plans.

Finally Friday arrived and our graduation ceremony took place. Dad drove Edward and me there in my car, since I refused to go in the cruiser and have Edward sit behind the screen in the back. The rest of the Cullens came with Alice. As soon as we got there Alice came to me to complain. "Bella, can you believe they have yellow graduation gowns! Do the people who run Forks High have no fashion sense at all? How could they do this to us!" I let her rant, and commiserated with her because, to be honest, I was wondering whether the people on the committee that decided on such a gaudy colour for graduation gowns had been high when they decided on yellow. What was wrong with a nice standard black?

Eventually though I had to separate from Alice and Edward as we lined up in alphabetical order with the others in our year. Jessica Stanley was in front of me and bursting with excitement. "Oh Bella! Can you believe it! We're finally graduating!" I smiled at her enthusiasm and attempted to interject some one word answers in response to her continuous excited monologue as we waited in line.

Finally the ceremony started, and I listened to the speeches made by the Principal, and Angela, who had just managed to beat out Ben to become Valediction. It was then our turn to make our way onto the stage. I watched as Alice and Edward walked onto the stage amidst polite clapping from the audience, amongst which were the rest of the Cullens. I clapped loudly for them, even though I knew they had done this many times before.

As my turn came and I shook the principal's hand I heard cheers and Emmett let out a loud whistle. I smiled as I saw my father and the Cullens- all part of my family, cheering for me. I had never felt so loved. I turned towards the end of the stage and my eyes locked with Edwards as he stood waiting for me. I walked towards him and took his hand, fully aware that in a matter of weeks we would be legally bound together for eternity. I couldn't wait.

With graduation finally over and Edward and I accepted into Dartmouth, my human life was nearing an end. A small part of me was sad to see it go, but the larger part was excited to finally fully enter the vampire world and spend eternity with Edward.

With our wedding date only two weeks after graduation, the finishing touches were now being put in place. While Alice had originally wanted to invite the whole town, Edward and I convinced her that our idea of a perfect wedding was one that included only family and close friends. Although we did put an announcement in the local paper- Edward wanted everyone to know we were getting married. Apart from our families, only Angela and Ben from school had been invited. I will admit to the passing thought of having all the girls in our high school attend the wedding so that they would see once and for all that Edward was mine, but I wasn't that petty.

My Volturi family could not come without making Renee suspicious, so we had arranged for small, high definition cameras at various vantage points to be recording the whole wedding to send to them via a live feed. Edward and I also wanted to have the recordings, so that we could look back on our happy day. I also knew that when I changed into a vampire my memories might become fuzzy, and I wanted to remember my wedding day in clear detail.

Edward and I recorded our piano and harp duet love song for the first dance, and went through a list of other songs for the reception. Alice took care of the catering aspect and the procurement of furniture. Neither Edward nor I were particularly worried over whether the table cloths were lace or white satin. We did however wish for freesia and white roses for the centrepieces. Rosalie had offered to play the piano for my march down the aisle, and Edward and I couldn't be happier to take her up on her offer.

Renee and Phil flew down a week before the wedding, and as I had expected, Renee got along really well with Esme and Alice, and loved looking at bridal catalogues with them. The most embarrassing part of the last week leading up to the wedding was the afternoon when Renee walked into Edward's room unannounced to talk to me about my wedding hairstyle and found us both on the bed and shirtless. We had been intending to get in some last minute practise for the wedding night and to make up for the days that Felix and Demetri had curbed out late night explorations.

The whole family was supposed to be out- Alice and Esme had taken Renee to see the cake we had ordered, and to confirm with the caterers. Carlisle was at work, and the rest of the family was hunting. Edward and I were happy to be spending some alone time, away from the wedding plans and oversensitive ears of the family.

We were shocked when Renee burst through the door to Edward's room. "Bella," She stopped a foot into the room, a hand still on the doorknob. She was speechless with her eyes wide, and my name still on her lips. I sat up quickly from under Edward and pulled my shirt back on. My face was bright red. I shot a reproving look at a shocked looking Edward, before glancing back at my mum.

In those few seconds she had managed to gain control of her shock, and her appreciative gaze was now wandering over Edward's muscled chest. I sighed and handed Edward his shirt before hopping off the bed. "Was there something you wanted mum?"

She looked momentarily startled and her eyes unwillingly tore away from the chest Edward was covering to meet my inquiring eyes. "Um. Yes. That's right. I wanted to ask how you were planning to do your hair for the wedding dear." She recovered.

"Come with me and I'll show you the drawings Alice and I came up with from a few different styles we liked," I was resigned to the fact that I would not be spending my afternoon solely with Edward as planned. Apparently Renee had been so excited to talk to me that she had pressured Alice and Esme into driving home after looking at the cake, saying that they could simply ring the caterers for confirmation. Nothing they had said to dissuade her and allow Edward and I more time had worked. In some ways I was thankful that she had walked in when she did, and not a little later when there would have been significantly less clothing involved.

Of course my mother could not help commenting as we walked back downstairs. "My goodness Bella, that boy is gorgeous! If I was a bit younger I'd give you a run for your money! No wonder you can't seem to keep your hands off him." She whispered all of this to me, but everyone in the house heard, and when we reached the living room I could see the subdued laughter shining in Alice and Esme's eyes.

Later that night Edward had apologised and admitted that he had been so focussed on us that he had not heard them arrive home, or Renee walking up the stairs. I forgave him after some very persuasive kisses were offered.

Charlie, while reluctant to part with me, was happy that I had chosen Edward, who he believed to be trustworthy and truly adored me. Having said that, he still liked to stay as far from wedding plans as possible, and spent much of his time in La Push, or commiserating with Emmett and Jasper, who were often roped into helping out with the preparations. All in all though, the wedding was coming together wonderfully, and Edward and I couldn't be more excited.

A few days before the wedding I was kidnapped by Alice and Rosalie for a bridal shower. They had kicked everyone out of the Cullen mansion, and invited Angela. Renee and Esme were there as well. Once we were all together we headed off to a spa day where we were primped and preened and massaged to our hearts content. Rosalie, Alice and Esme spent much of their time in the hot mud pool and then the spa in favour of the massage, since their rock hard skin would be far too noticeable, but we all had a great time, and by the time us humans joined them in the spa we were all happy and relaxed. We had a great time splashing about in the hot water, and I was glad Angela had joined us, because she deserved some pampering.

We all reluctantly headed back to the mansion a few hours later, where I warily unwrapped my presents. Alice and Rosalie had given me hoards of sexy French lingerie. A lot of it was in varying shades of blue. There were corsets, teddys, nightgowns, lace, satin, silk etc. "Given how Edward likes to rip things off you, we figured you'd need a lot." Rosalie and Alice snickered and Esme and Renee smiled knowingly at me. I turned bright red, and noticed that Angela had a slight blush.

"Thanks guys," In truth I did love the lingerie, and especially the idea of Edward ripping it off me.

Angela gave me a pair of black silk robes- a larger one for Edward and a smaller one for me. She had had 'Isabella Cullen' embroidered onto mine, and 'Edward Cullen' onto his. Tears came to my eyes as I ran my fingers over what was to be my new name. "Thank you so much Angela, these are wonderful." I hugged her tight and beamed happily at her as the others also commented on her wonderful gift.

Renee gave me a set of old silver hair combs, set with clusters of sapphires. They were beautiful. "These are from Charlie and I," she explained. "They were your Grandma Swan's, and we had the original paste stones replaced with sapphires. We thought you would like to wear them for your wedding." Her explanation touched me, and I realised now why she had been so interested in my wedding hairstyle.

"Mum, these are beautiful. Of course I would love to wear these for the wedding!" I assured her immediately giving her a big hug.

Last, but certainly not least, Esme handed over a large box. I gasped when I looked inside. I pulled it out carefully for everyone to see. "Oh Esme," I breathed. It was a large crystal cube, about 20cm tall. The inside laser image was a 3D of the prom picture we had had taken this year. We were standing next to each other, hands clasped and half-turned to the camera with our focus entirely on looking deep into the other's eyes. The words at the bottom of the image were 'Edward and Isabella Cullen, Married June 27th, 2006.'

Words could not describe how overwhelmed I felt by her gift. I could not wait to show it to Edward, and I felt my hugs and profuse thanks were not enough. "Esme, this truly is one of the best gifts I have ever gotten." She looked like she would be crying if it were possible, and she simply pulled me in for a hug.

"You are more than welcome Bella. We are so happy that you are joining our family."

After such a wonderful day the only thing that made it better was when Edward came back and I showed him our wonderful gifts (Except the lingerie, which I was keeping to surprise him with on the honeymoon). Like me, he was touched by our gifts, and Esme's was his favourite.

One very special gift from the Volturi, which I shared with Edward was a thick leather-bound photo album of my human life. On each page were large photos of me from the time I was four years old, all the way through my childhood in Volterra, to photos of me with the Edward and the rest of the Cullens. At the end was space for our wedding and honeymoon photos. Both of us greatly appreciated this gift. Edward loved looking at my childhood photos, and I loved the fact that when I became a vampire I would still have some great reminders of my human life. "You look so cute and adorable there," he pointed out a picture of me during my first week with the Volturi, "It's hard to believe that even then you could throw vampires into walls." I scowled at him and huffed, crossing my arms in annoyance as he chuckled and moved onto the next photo.

The Volturi females had also send me a multitude of things for the honeymoon, including more lingerie, and Edward spotted some of it before I quickly secreted it away in one of my suitcases. His eyes darkened significantly as he stared at me. I, of course, was not averse to taking advantage of him in this state, and that night was very pleasurable for both of us.

The day of the wedding finally arrived and I woke for the last time in my bed at Charlie's. Edward had left at midnight, so that he technically wouldn't see me before the wedding today. Jasper and Emmett had arrived to take him hunting- a type of bachelor party for vampires.

I felt a little stab in my heart and I already missed Edward, but excitement flooded through my veins at the thought of our wedding- and even better, our wedding night! I jumped out of bed and scarfed breakfast before speeding off to the mansion. Alice and Rosalie met me at the door, and my eyes widened to see the changes to the house. They had obviously been hard at work (a major advantage of super speed and no need for sleep). The whole bottom open floor had been cleared. In place were garlands of white roses spaced intermittently with coloured freesias, the cameras were all set up, and a short aisle led from the staircase to the wall of windows overlooking the river. "Perfect," I breathed, stopping to admire it all. I was sure that as soon as I saw Edward during the ceremony I would be completely ignorant to any of our beautiful surroundings, so it was best to admire them now.

They smiled exultantly before ushering me up the stairs. "The guys aren't allowed to come back from hunting until you are safely away upstairs and have us shielded from Edward's mind," Alice informed me. I dutifully did as I was told and headed into Alice's bathroom while shrouding them in a mental shield. Alice pulled out a phone and called Jasper to let him know he could bring Edward back, and we set to work.

Esme and Carlisle were putting the finishing touches on downstairs, including a large bower of flowers and gossamer ribbon at the end of the aisle for Edward and I to stand under, as well as directing the caterer of on where to set up.

Upstairs as they braided and curled my hair, and we all got ready I could feel the excitement building. I couldn't stop smiling. Esme and Renee came in as we were near finishing and snapped photos of us. I gave an appreciative sigh as Rosalie pulled my dress out of its protective bag and into the light. It was the product of weeks of designing, using my ideas and Alice's knowledge of fabrics and styles. In the end I had a strapless white taffeta gown with a delicate vintage lace covered corset style bodice. The skirt gathered a little on the left at the waist, resulting in soft pleats down the left side. The pleats had been embroidered with tiny delicate flowers by Esme. The end result was a mixture of old and modern, much like Edward and I.

I eagerly donned the dress and waited as Alice and Rosalie did the same with their dresses. Grandma Swan's sapphire hair combs were then placed in my hair, Edward's diamond heart sparkled at my throat and my diamond and platinum cuff was in its usual place.

I hugged both Alice and Rosalie before Rosalie headed downstairs to take her place at the piano. Esme and Renee also gave me quick hugs before following Rosalie. Charlie then entered. He looked slightly uncomfortable in his charcoal suit, but far more handsome then I had ever seen him. His eyes misted slightly as he looked at me. "Oh honey, you look so beautiful." I made a valiant effort and held back my tears as I hugged him tight.

"Thanks Dad."

We were finally ready. We exited Alice's room and stood just to the side of the stairs that would lead me down to Edward. While I hadn't seen Edward today, it didn't mean that I wasn't keeping tabs on him. Ever since he had entered the house I had had a shield around him so that I could feel him and knew where he was. I could not feel him standing at the head of the aisle in from of Angela's father; Pastor Weber. As Rosalie started playing and Alice moved to the top of the staircase and started her descent I opened my mind shield to Edward, and shielded the minds of everyone else, leaving him only in my own thoughts. So that you can hear how much I love you as we join for eternity, I thought to him.

All too soon it was our turn to head downstairs. I clasped Charlie's arm tightly as he helped me navigate down in my high white shoes. He led me down the aisle to my lullaby, but once my eyes met Edward's I couldn't focus on anything else. His light butterscotch eyes stared back intensely as Charlie led me towards him. Though the aisle was short it felt like forever until we finally reached Edward and Charlie gave him my hand. Our familiar electricity hummed through my body as we touched. Neither of us broke eye contact for the entire ceremony as we said our vowels to each other and became bound for eternity. There was deep joy, pride and love in his eyes, and I couldn't look away. I love you, I thought at him before our lips sealed our wedding vows and we were finally married. I indulged myself in his kiss, completely forgetting that we had an audience until Edward pulled away with a smug smile, and I heard Emmett's boisterous laugh. I blushed a little, especially when I realised that my parents had been watching us.

We signed the marriage certificate and walked down the aisle amidst the cheers of our family and friends. I could not keep my eyes off Edward, and the smile on my face was unshakable. Alice had delivered on the reception atop a wooden dance floor that had been placed on the grass out on the back lawn, surrounded by Esme's beautiful gardens. As we moved outside to our reception, we saw our wedding cake. It looked very impressive, and as I had negotiated with Alice, it was only one foot tall instead of five feet tall. The two swans had their necks arched and beaks joined to form a heart, and one of them even had a princess tiara as a subtle symbol of my status among the vampire world. I almost didn't want to cut into the cake as the time came, for it was so beautiful, but Edward understood my reluctance and reassured me in a whisper that Alice had taken many photos and video footage of it.

Edward slowly fed me a piece of the cake as everyone watched on. It was delicious, and with my eyes locked on his I slowly licked every crumb off Edward's fingers, watching smugly as his eyes darkened. I pulled away with a blush when I realised that our parents had been watching. I quickly picked up Edward's piece of cake and distracted everyone by smashing it into his face. He pretended to swallow some as I rubbed it in, and everyone was soon laughing.

As the rest of our guests got a piece of cake I wiped the cake off most of Edward's face before sucking some icing off his lips. Once the icing was all gone I pulled back with a satisfied grin, and he purred at me, his eyes promising retribution. My heart beat faster at that very enticing thought.

All of our human guests enjoyed the cake, which was an absolutely delicious chocolate mud cake, but it had definitely tasted even better when Edward was my plate. We received our congratulations and speeches from most of our family, who all had something to say, and it was then time for our dance.

The familiar chords of our piano and harp harmony washed over me as Edward led me gracefully around the dance floor. My skirts twirls around me, and in Edward's arms I let my happiness wash over me. I was finally married to the love of my life and my mate; Edward.

I then danced with my Dad, while Edward led Esme around the dance floor. We swayed slowly to the music, and I looked into Charlie's eyes to see that they were misted. "I'm so happy for you Bella, although I will miss you so much."

I was touched. We had gotten to know each other a lot better during my stay, and had grown much closer. "I'll miss you too dad," I promised, knowing it was the truth. Charlie was like me in many ways and we had gotten along great during my year and a half in Forks, which had turned out to be the best time in my life so far.

Charlie knew that Edward loved me, and that he would take care of me. "He's a good man," he admitted, "You couldn't have picked better for yourself Bells."

I hugged him, "I know," I assured him, before turning my adoring eyes to my husband.

After my dance with Charlie I danced with some of the others, before I was returned to Edward for another dance. It was heaven being in his arms

As our reception neared its end I threw my bouquet, which Alice and Rosalie allowed Angela to catch while feigning eagerness to catch it. As they were already married, they thought it would be nice for Angela to have the bouquet. Angela's beaming smile as she caught it was evidence enough of the rightness of their thoughts, and we were all pleased for her.

Edward then led me to a chair, where I sat down, and tried not to let my desire show as he ducked under my dress and dragged his nose up my leg to my inner thigh. I held back a shiver that would give me away. I kept my body frozen as Edward kissed my thigh and then grabbed the garter in his teeth, slowly dragging it back down my leg. My breathing and heart rate picked up, and I could feel Edward smile against my thigh as he itched the garter down slowly. It was my sheer force of will that I managed not to jump him then right in front of everyone. As the garter reached my knee I opened my mind so that he could see just how close I was to having my self control undermined, and he relented and quickly dragged it down the rest of the way and off. He winked at me and shot the garter at Ben. It landed in his surprised hands, and he turned to look at a blushing Angela.

We restated the dancing after that, and soon enough I found myself in Edward's arms for the last dance. We swayed slowly to my lullaby, eyes locked, and our feelings for each other evident in our eyes. The rest of the room faded away as I tipped my head back and Edward's lips slowly descended to meet mine. We continued to kiss for the remainder of the song, and when Alice finally succeeded in catching our attention it had already finished. I gave up on being embarrassed, and simply enjoyed the tender look Edward sent me.

Alice quickly dragged me away to put me in a going away outfit she had picked out, which turned out to be a pretty blue dress that was quite comfortable. "Thank you so much for all your help planning the wedding Alice," I told her as I changed. "It was absolutely perfect." There were tears in my eyes as I hugged her.

"It was no problem Bella, and it's wonderful to officially have you for a sister," she beamed at me, and we made our way downstairs to where Edward was waiting for me.

He held out his hand and when I took it he led us to the front door. "Ready?" he asked. I took a deep breath and nodded. Outside we were showered with handfuls of rice, and I couldn't help but laugh at Emmett's enthusiasm for it, and the disappointed look he wore when he realised that I had shielded us- I couldn't have Alice mad by getting rice stuck on my outfit or, even worse, in my hair. We hugged everyone goodbye before Edward helped me into his Vanquish and we sped away.

As we left Emmett shouted out "Go forth and multiply!" I blushed as Charlie looked at him and glared, before shooting Edward a warning look. I was lucky he had no idea that Edward and I were planning reproducing during our honeymoon. We drove away while I looked happily at my wonderful husband, exulting in the fact that I now held the title of Edward's wife.

Edward hadn't told me where our honeymoon would be, but we had discussed places I had been, and what I liked in length, and I trusted Edward to provide me with a wonderful honeymoon. In truth though, it wasn't the location I was eager to enjoy, but Edward himself- although with a face and body like his who could blame me?

We arrived at Houston first and I cocked an eyebrow at Edward. "Just a stop along the way," he assured me.

Our next flight was to Rio de Janeiro, but Edward again assured me that we would not be there long. I gave up speculating and fell asleep in Edward's arms as we flew closer to our final destination and the start of what I was anticipating to be a wonderful honeymoon where we would conceive our children.

We arrived in Rio just after sunset and were taken straight to the docks, where Edward immediately led me to a sailing yacht. I could see the excitement and anticipation in his eyes as he ushered me aboard and we set off out into the ocean. I enjoyed watching him sail; his sleeves were rolled up and his muscles flexed as he worked the sails. I licked my lips and settled back on a cushioned couch to enjoy the view my husband was providing. I inwardly squealed at the reminder that he was finally my husband.

Edward served me dinner on the yacht, which only made my love and desire for him increase, especially when he hand fed me strawberries dipped in chocolate. To be fair, I could see his own eyes darkening with lust as he watched my tongue swirl and the chocolate strawberries. The yacht proved to be a very romantic and intimate setting and I was very happy with the way my honeymoon was going so far.

Before long Edward called me to look ahead, and I began to make out the shape of what appeared to be a small island. His arms encircled me as we neared it. "Welcome to Isle Esme love," he whispered in my ear. I shivered in anticipation as a beautiful island came into view.

"Wow," I breathed.

"It was a gift to Esme from Carlisle a while back, and Esme is allowing us to use it," he explained as he let go of me to start bringing the yacht to the dock. I gazed over it in awe as Edward docked us. It was beautiful. Waves gently slapped at the silvery shoreline, edges with lush palm trees. It was the quintessential private tropical island. The water was clear and I could see fish and corals in the water by the moonlight.

There was a slight bump as the yacht docked and Edward leapt out to tie it up. He then helped me out and was soon back on the dock with both of our cases in one of his hands. With his other arm he scooped me up. I gave a startled laugh, and looked up into his excited eyes as he carried me towards the house I could see between the palm trees.

I snuggled into his chest and proceeded to thoroughly distract him as he walked. I started nibbling along his jaw and up his chin until I reached his lips. I pulled his bottom lip between my teeth and he loosed a growl that vibrated through my whole body. I latched onto his lips and kissed him hard. He kissed back and when he finally pulled back we were standing in front of the house. He dropped our cases on the porch and opened the door, carrying me over the threshold.

He carried me through the house, flipping on the lights, and I caught a pale colour scheme and a vague impression of a beautiful house as I returned my attention to Edward and kissed my way down his neck as I started undoing the buttons of his shirt. Edward seemed to get the message that I was not interested in viewing the house as he sped up and opened the door to a large bedroom. It contained a large white bed, and glass doors leading outside to a beautiful beach. I made a quick mental note to explore the beach with Edward sometime later on during our honeymoon, but right now I was busy getting Edward out of his shirt and running my hands over his broad shoulders and muscled body.

Edward deposited me gently on the bed and pulled back, zipping out of the room to return milliseconds later and deposit our cases on the floor. He looked at me hungrily. "Is there anything you want to do fist love? We could go for a swim- the water here is very warm," he offered.

I shook my head. "I want you,' I breathed, looking into his eyes and allowing him to see all of my pent up desire. His eyes showed a reciprocal desire, and his lips quickly met mine. Our desire exploded and soon our hands were roaming and our clothes were being ripped off in our passion.

When we finally came together the feeling of completeness overwhelmed me as we lost ourselves to the pleasure. At the height of our pleasure I opened my mind and let Edward experience my feelings of ecstasy and completion as we consummated our union and our mating bond.

I woke up, feeling absolutely blissful as I felt Edward's hands running lightly up and down my naked back. Sunlight was streaming into the room as I raised my head from Edward's wonderfully cool chest to look at his sparkling face. His eyes retained the deep joy and love that had been radiating out of him since our wedding. "Good morning," I whispered.

"Good morning my love, how are you feeling," slight concern was on his face, but it was mixed with a certain amount of smugness, no doubt caused by his prowess last night.

I took stock of my body and was pleased to only find a slight ache, and when I mulled over how that ache came to be, feelings of desire started to run through my body again. "Wonderful," I purred, as I started to run my hands down his muscular chest.

I could read the desire in his eyes, but he pulled back slightly. "Are you hungry? I should make you some breakfast."

My hand continued its path lower. "Oh, I'm hungry Edward, but right now it's not for food." My hunger for him had been building up considerably in the weeks leading up to the wedding, and while last night had temporarily sated it, I was desperate to have him again. Being the considerate husband he is, Edward was most eager to oblige me, and immediately pulled me further up his chest so that we were pressed deliciously against each other.

Later on during the day we finally made it out of bed, after multiple sessions in an attempt to assuage our mutual hunger for each other, and Edward fed me before we went for a walk along the beach. "Do you think we've made our beautiful twins yet?" Edward asked; a look of hopefulness and excitement was upon his face at the thought of our gorgeous girls.

I smiled, my feet sunk into the sand as I wandered ankle deep in the warm water, "I suspect we probably have, especially after last night." My eyes glazed over at the thought of our wonderful wedding night. "And I suppose we could call Alice if we really wanted to know," I continued, "But," I stopped and looked mischievously at him, "As long as we don't know for sure we should make every effort to conceive wouldn't you agree?"

His gazed turned predatory as he stared at me. "Absolutely," his husky voice agreed with me and he scooped me up and ran us into the warm waters of the ocean.


	42. Pregnancy

During our wonderful honeymoon we did end up using the tight black bodysuit and thigh high boots Emmett had given us when we went to New York. We also went through the majority of my lingerie, as Edward seemed to delight in ripping it off me- although I found no reason to complain about it. Every night I slept peacefully, dreaming of our twin girls.

We stayed on Isle Esme until I began to get morning sickness, about eighteen days after our arrival. A quick call to Alice confirmed what we had already hoped and suspected- I had conceived on our wedding night. As soon as I started throwing up Edward booked our flights and dragged me back to Forks to ensure that I would remain as healthy as possible during my pregnancy. Alice had assured us that her visions of our children had been solidified and that she could see my pregnancy and the birth of our daughters. That had made us incredibly happy and we had of course celebrated in a particularly intimate way. Nevertheless, Edward and I knew that carrying twin half-vampires would be hard, and that I would soon need the nutrition of the blood bank that the Cullens had built up for the children and me.

Edward constantly vacillated between excitement and worry. Despite Alice's visions, we all knew that there were many things that could go wrong. Edward had kept himself occupied during the time I slept on the island by reading pregnancy and parenting books. Every morning I woke to find him with a new book in his hands. He summarised the most important bits and we read some of them together in between our lovemaking sessions and our exploration of the island.

He cooked for me throughout the honeymoon, constantly plying me with large serves of delicious foods that I just couldn't say no to. He claimed that I needed to put on weight to help me through what was sure to be a hard pregnancy, and I couldn't argue with his reasoning- especially when the food was so good.

When we arrived back at the airport the whole family was waiting for us; anticipation and excitement tangible in the air around them. Alice was bouncing up and down with excitement and Rosalie was tapping her foot impatiently while continually searching for us in the crowd. When she saw us her face lit up, and several of the men near her stoped to stare at the stunning picture she presented.

All of their eyes immediately dropped to my stomach as we neared them and you could see them looking at the very subtle bump I now sported. Edward and I had discovered it a few days ago, and I had joked that with the way he had been feeding me I was probably just putting on weight, but after Alice's call we had stood together in front of a mirror for a while, gazing in awe at the subtle bump where our two miracles lay.

Emmett was the first to congratulate us; he slapped Edward on the back, "Well done man, you knocked up your wife!" He gave Edward a fist bump, and I rolled my eyes at the smug and cocky look on Edward's face- hmph males. The rest of the family congratulated us in a less rowdy manner, all of them beaming with happiness.

We were soon speeding back to Forks, accompanied by Carlisle and Esme. Carlisle began plying me with questions about how I was feeling. "Well, I feel nauseated a lot, and I've had a lot of trouble keeping down my last couple of meals, but other than that I feel fine so far," I answered honestly.

"Good, as soon as we get home we'll get you some blood and hope that helps give you and the babies some nutrients," Carlisle started planning. I nodded in agreement and placed my hands back over Edward's on my tiny bump. Every now and then we would feel the tiniest of flutters from our babies, who were developing fast.

We got home and filled everyone in on some parts of our honeymoon, describing the beautiful island. We also called Volterra to give them the good news that I was pregnant, and Alice informed them of the date for their birth, which she had already seen in her visions. They were delighted with the news, especially Aro and Didyme. They also complemented us on our wonderful wedding, which they had all made sure they did not miss. "It was so beautiful Bella," Didyme said, and her voice was higher than usual.

"The dress was absolutely perfect for you," Heidi complimented us, "And I loved the cake."

I spent a few hours talking to them and catching up. When I finally said goodbye Carlisle came downstairs with a cup. I sniffed and realised that I recognised the rusty, salty smell of blood coming from it. This time though, instead of fainting like I normally did, I felt a yearning for the bright red liquid.

I reached out for it, and Carlisle slowly handed it to me, I looked around to find the entire family watching me intently. I took another sniff of the now delicious smelling liquid and then sipped. As the blood hit my throat I moaned in ecstasy. This was better than chocolate! I gulped the rest down as fast as possible before holding the cup back out to Carlisle with soft begging eyes. "More?" I asked hopefully. He took it from me and chuckled, eyes slightly wide in fascination.

Emmett laughed, "See Bella- I knew you'd love grizzly bears!"

I blushed as I realised they were all watching me with a sort of morbid fascination. Carlisle went back upstairs and returned moments later with the cup refilled. I downed that too, and I finally felt like I had had enough blood. I suddenly realised that I was now craving eggs. "I'm hungry now," I mentioned.

Edward immediately darted up from his place beside me on the sofa, "What would you like love?"

"Eggs please," I grinned at him.

He whipped them up quickly and I dug in eagerly, demolishing the entire plate quickly. This time there was no nausea. I admitted this to them and Carlisle smiled. "It seems you need both while you are pregnant to keep the babies happy." Edward looked pleased that I had not needed to run for the bathroom and regurgitate his cooking this time, and there was a tiny amount of relief in his eyes.

As the sun got ready to set Alice started bouncing. Edward frowned at her. "Alice, what are you hiding?" She smiled innocently at him and refused to answer.

Esme rose from the couch and smiled at us, eyes shining with anticipation. "We have a surprise for you two," she announced. She led us outside. "It's a little way away, so you're going to have to carry Bella, Edward." That was all she would say before I found myself safely ensconced in Edward's arms as we darted through the forest on Esme's heels. Behind us the rest of the family were shadowing us.

We stopped and Edward set me down carefully. I turned and was shocked to find a beautiful little stone cottage in front of us. There were little flower beds framing it, and I immediately fell in love. "Oh, it's beautiful," I breathed in awe.

"It's our wedding gift to you two," Esme beamed at me. "We thought you two would like to have your own space for a while- at least until we move elsewhere."

I hugged her tightly. "Thank you Esme, this is wonderful!" I stepped back into Edward's arms and looked at my little cottage in awe.

"We moved all of your stuff in while you were away, so you should be all set for tonight- we'll let you explore on your own," Carlisle thoughtfully led the others back to the house for the night.

Once they were gone I eagerly grabbed Edward's hands and led him to the door. I stopped their and turned to him, "Do you want to open it?"

His response was to sweep me into his arms as he opened the door and carried me over the threshold. Inside the house was beautiful, yet homey. I could definitely see myself living here with Edward and our children. It was perfect. "Wow," I breathed.

Still holding me, Edward nodded in agreement. "I had no idea they were renovating this place for us," he admitted, "they must have been hiding it extremely well."

The inside of the cottage had high timber ceilings, a rustic fireplace, and smooth stone floors. The furniture included an ottoman, recliners and a couch in the living room, with a bookcase next to the ottoman, already filled with my books. My paintings had been brought over from Charlie's house and were hanging on the walls, making it feel even more like my home already.

The next room was a large nursery. It was already fitted with two matching cots, and an abundance of other necessities. It didn't take much to know that Alice had had a hand in designing this room, since it had a walk-in closet already full of clothes for baby girls. Edward and I chuckled at that, and looked wistfully at the empty cots as we both rubbed our hands over my bump.

Our room was designed to look much like the one on the island. It had a low light timber bed, and glass doors led outside to a daybed on a porch area overlooking a small walled garden and pond. It was perfect. I sighed with happiness. Life could not get any better. I had a wonderful loving husband and family, a perfect home, and two children on the way.

Of course, being held closely in Edward's arms soon had me feeling a little hungry in a different sense of the word. I turned and initiated a kiss that quickly became hot and wet. Edward did not take long to catch on, and appeared to be in complete agreement as he shredded the dress and lingerie I was wearing before leading me to the bed. His own clothes were not far behind, and soon we were breaking in our new bed enthusiastically.

The next morning Edward surprised me soon after my breakfast of blood, steak, eggs and tomatoes. I was back at the Cullen mansion, relaxing with everyone in front of the TV when Edward suddenly disappeared and then reappeared carrying a set of large padded headphones connected to his iPod. I eyed him with confusion. "What's that?"

"It's so that the babies can listen to music," he explained with an excited grin. "Research shows that babies can hear sounds fairly early in development, and that they like the sounds of music- it has proven beneficial effects. I thought they could listen to some of our compositions." Tears came to my eyes as Edward carefully placed the headphones on my developing bump and turned on his iPod. The first song our baby girls ever heard was my lullaby. I felt them move as it played, and I placed Edward's hand on my bump so that he could feel them too. Their flutters seemed to increase with the music. I locked eyes with Edward as tears started streaming down my face. His own eyes were full of awe, joy and love.

From that moment on every time I sat down Edward was picking out songs with me for our babies to hear. After all, we wanted them to have good taste in music when they got older. We also talked to our babies constantly, wanting them to get used to our voices. Of course, once the rest of the family figured out that we were getting the babies used to our voices, they all crowded around to talk to the babies too.

In the evenings though, Edward would carry me back to our cottage, and I would lie out on the day bed watching the reflection of the moon on the garden pond if the night wasn't too cloudy and read my favourite stories to our baby girls with Edward cuddled up to me under an electric blanket rubbing soothing circles on my steadily growing bump.

I still had terrible nausea in the mornings that no amount of blood could soothe, however I soon found that my new craving for chocolate covered ginger helped a lot with keeping my morning sickness from being overwhelming. This meant that Emmett and Jasper were sent to scour every shopping centre in a two hundred mile radius for chocolate covered ginger for me, while a larger bulk order was sent for to be delivered in a week.

I was almost continuously eating the ginger as if it was a drink, and it seemed to be one of my strongest cravings. Edward soon learned that it was best to not get between me and my ginger, as my mood quickly became unpredictable, and I used my ginger to console myself. At times I would snap at Edward, especially if he was hovering- which he did a lot of. Unfortunately, with my mood swings, I also couldn't stand for him to be away from me for longer than about ten minutes before I would break down in tears and worry that he was not going to return to the babies and me. Luckily, Edward had no intentions of leaving me, even when he was due to hunt and I reluctantly agreed to part with him for the day and remain under the strict care of Carlisle and Rosalie, both of whom had medical degrees. Edward refused, and in the end Jasper and Emmett caught a pair of elk for him and brought them back. Edward met them about a mile into the tree line near the house to drink the elk, and I had a shield around him the entire time so that I could feel that he was still near.

As far as my own blood drinking experience went, it appeared that the babies and I shared their father's tastes, as mountain lion quickly became my favourite, although to be fair, grizzly bear blood was a close second.

One surprising development that happened the week after we came back from our honeymoon was the discovery that I craved Edward's venom. Edward had always been careful about the way he kissed me, but as out sex life got steadily more heated with my raging sex hormones he allowed me to take increasing liberties with him. I would often wake during the night to assault my all-too-willing husband, and it was lucky that he did not get tired. I had already had a healthy libido before the honeymoon, but partnered with my pregnancy hormones it had skyrocketed- it didn't hurt that Edward was so good looking either. As a result we soon discovered that I seemed to crave his venom even more than I craved blood. Every day I sucked as much venom out of his mouth as he could produce- which proved to be a particularly pleasurable task that often led to us ripping each other's clothes off and passionately loving one another.

Carlisle theorised that perhaps when I ingested the venom it made me stronger and helped our half-vampires grow, for I always felt better after having Edward's venom, and our babies were always more active afterwards.

Every day I steadily grew noticeably larger, and Rosalie and Alice insisted that my bump be photographed and measured every day. I was now sleeping for around twelve hours a day, and every time I woke I found Edward softly singing or talking to our baby girls. They steadily became more active too- rolling around in my stomach as if it was a wrestling cage.

I called Charlie and Renee a few times and guiltily assured them that Edward and I were doing well and settling into our new house near Dartmouth. We sent them a few pictures of us on the island taken during the rare times that we were actually clothed. I had already registered to do my Dartmouth course online, since I didn't want to waste any time away from our children as they grew up- it would be simple enough to do the work while our children were sleeping at night, and with Edward's help it wouldn't take very long. We were hoping that perhaps in a few years, when I would hopefully be able to be around humans, that I might even be able to invite Renee and Charlie to my graduation ceremony at Dartmouth and they would see me receive my degree. By that time, with a little bronzing makeup they would hopefully attribute the rest of my changes as me simply getting older.

I was a little worried about the change- I was not a big fan of pain, and the idea of voluntarily throwing myself into flames and staying their while a fire burned my body was not a particularly appealing thought, but I wanted to be with Edward and our children forever, and I knew that I could handle anything for them- I would happily burn for an entire year if that's what it would take, but luckily it would only be two days.

I was also a little jealous that for the two days that I would be changing my baby girls would grow significantly and I wouldn't be there to see it. I made the whole family promise to take videos and photos of them constantly during that time. I wasn't worried about harming them after I became a vampire- firstly, they were my children, and I already loved them and knew I could never harm them, and secondly, my Volturi vampires had assured me that the few hybrids they had met had not smelt like food.

As I neared the end of my pregnancy, Edward watched me like a hawk, and I couldn't hide the fact that now I was so large I was distinctly uncomfortable. My size meant that my back and feet were aching, and my bladder was constantly pounded by the movements of the twin- who were particularly strong kickers. One day as I was lying out on the daybed with Edward I felt a particularly hard kick. I winched and rubbed at the spot on my stomach where pain was emanating from.

Edward watched me with worried eyes before talking softly to the babies, his velvet voice soothing them. They stopped kicking and I breathed a sigh of relief. Every day they kicked harder, and I had a few light bruises on my stomach from their efforts now. The only good thing about it was that it meant that they would soon be ready to come out.

Only a couple of months after conception Edward and I found ourselves over at the Cullens after an excited call from Alice. Alice wouldn't tell us what was up, but everyone knew that something important was about to happen by the way Alice was bouncing on the spot, her eyes glowing with excitement. She made us stop for a second and took a photo. Then she ushered me in through the door and sat me down on the couch, dragging Edward to sit beside me. "Sit down," she ordered everyone else. When they had complied she sat on my other side and glanced at the clock. She nodded and looked satisfied. "Now, Bella, please shielded everyone's thoughts from Edward. Everyone else; be very quiet."

I did as I was told, shrouding everyone except Edward in mind shields. I then stayed very still, casting confused glances over at Alice every now and then. All of a sudden Edward gasped and we all turned to look at him. His eyes were glowing, a look of wonder on his face, and a smile that rivalled the one he had worn on our wedding day. He was looking intently at my bump, and he slowly raised a hand and caressed it softly. "Hello my sweet girls, I can hear you now," he crooned to them. I gasped, and when Edward's eyes rose to meet mine I gifted him with a beaming smile to match his own. He could hear our children.

"What are they thinking?" I asked. The rest of the Cullens sat in rapt attention to us.

"They love us all, especially you and me. They seem aware that you are their mother and I am their father, they know our different voices. They adore us and they are so happy." His face was that of a doting father as he continued to caress my stomach over our beautiful little girls.

"Of course you are," I crooned to my babies, "How could you not be happy when you have the most wonderful father and family in the world." After our wedding and honeymoon I had wondered whether I could ever feel happier than at those moments, but this surpassed even that.

"Wow," Jasper breathed. "I didn't notice before, but now that everyone is still and calm I can feel their emotions. Coming from you Bella is your normal amount of love and happiness, but also two more measures of love, happiness, adoration and curiosity." He was smiling, basking in the happy emotions he was feeling from us. I was awed. My talented babies could already think and feel.

"They recognise your voice too Jasper- they love you and from their thoughts they are quite anxious to meet us all," Edward murmured.

Alice nodded in agreement. "Two days," she promised. I was suddenly surprised by how quickly my pregnancy had passed and was a little nostalgic. Sure, I had known that it was going to be a very short pregnancy due to the accelerated growth of the babies, and I never wanted to repeat morning sickness ever again, but I was suddenly worried. My babies would no longer be safe and protected inside me- they would be out in the world, where there were many supernatural creatures that might try to hurt them. Then I relaxed. I knew that neither my Cullen family, nor my Volturi family would allow anything to happen to our baby girls.

"Two days." I repeated and nodded. In two days I would see our baby girls for the first time. Suddenly all my worry vanished in the excitement. I couldn't wait to see them- although I knew it would only be a glimpse before I would need to be changed, but that would be enough to get me though the burning torment I would then face.

The rest of the family took turns murmuring sweet nothings to our babies, and after a while Edward chuckled softly. "They're hungry," he announced. Carlisle immediately disappeared upstairs and reappeared with a cup full of blood. I drank it down quickly and after a moment Edward nodded approvingly. "They're a little happier now, but I think they're after some other food."

"Well since I'm craving a turkey roll and lots of ginger, perhaps that's what they're after," I smirked.

Esme zipped out of the room, and was back as soon as vampirely possible with my food. I wolfed it down, with all of them watching on, and we then continued to take to the newest members of our family. Later on I felt our children settle. "It seems that that was exactly what they wanted love, they're very happily fed now," Edward murmured. "They are taking a nap."

At the world nap I yawned, and Edward felt the change in me as I registered me sleepiness. As quietly as possible we bid our family goodbye and Edward carried me back to our cottage. I fell asleep in his arms only seconds into our journey and woke some time later to find myself tucked up in bed with Edward humming to our girls. A feeling of contentment washed over me as I watched him.

Later that night I finished my human memories photo album that the Volturi had given me. The last photos were a multitude from our wedding- some formally posed, others were fun, like the photo of me smashing cake into Edward's face. My favourite was one of us dancing together. Our bodies were close, and both of us were ignorant to everyone else as we stared intensely into each other's eyes. After the wedding photos were some of our honeymoon, and the very last picture was the one taken by Alice this morning. Edward was standing behind me, hands clasped with mine as they rested on my large bump, and both of us were smiling joyfully at the camera.

The next two days passed far quicker than I had anticipated, and all too soon we were ready for my delivery. Jasper and Emmett had left, not sure that they would be able to able to handle the scent of my fresh blood. Also, none of us wanted Jasper to have to feel the immense pain that I would be in when my change started, so it was Emmett's job to keep him away.

I lay down nervously on the padded table that I our babies would be delivered on. Edward held my hand, his eyes showing his anxiety. I smile weakly at him. "Cheer up Edward- soon we'll be seeing our babies, and in two days I will be a vampire, and nothing will ever be able to separate us- not even death." He smiled half-heartedly in response, and I knew that as while I was changing he would be torturing himself over every wince and scream that I let loose while I burned. "Take good care of our girls while I'm changing." I ordered.

He lifted my hand to his lips and kissed it softly. "You know I will, and all three of us will be waiting for you while you change."

Carlisle came in then with Rosalie. They both had a serious demeanour. "Are you ready?" he asked us. I hesitated a second before nodding. "We don't know whether the morphine or even the local anaesthetic for delivery will help you or not, but we'll try anyway." I nodded weakly. I doubted it would help, but it was definitely worth a shot.

"Okay, I'm ready," I clasped Edward's hand tightly for a second before reluctantly releasing it. Carlisle nodded, and they uncovered my large rounded stomach. They put up a small barrier so that I couldn't see them working because there was no way I wanted to see them reach into my stomach and pull out our children.

I felt the slight pinch as needles were injected into me, and then a numb feeling came over my lower body. "How are you feeling?" Carlisle asked.

"I can't feel my lower body at all," I muttered.

"Good," I took it to mean that this was supposed to happen.

I couldn't feel when Carlisle made the incision, but I knew when he called Edward away from my head what was supposed to happen next. I felt a slightly tingling start as Edward sunk his teeth into the hard protective membrane that held our children. From Aro we had learned that the protective membrane was as strong as a vampire's own skin, and could only be torn through by the sharp teeth of the child, or another vampire.

All I could feel was a burning tingle somewhere below me, but as I was still numb I couldn't locate it, and so far it was not bad enough to distract me from the fact that my babies were coming out. I listened anxiously, and finally I heard it- loud twin cries. I gasped as the last tears I would ever shed ran down my face. Carlisle quickly stitched my stomach, covered it and pulled down the screen while Edward and Rosalie cleaned up our girls.

"How are you feeling now Bella?"

"So happy Carlisle," I ignored the slight burning I was now feeling as Edward and Rosalie brought our seconds-old babies to me.

Just like the pictures Alice had drawn, our babies were absolutely beautiful. They already had little crowns of light chocolate hair, and as they opened their eyes I saw their stunning hazel irises; the perfect blend of milk chocolate and emerald green. I smiled exultantly up at Edward. "We did it Edward- look at our little miracles!"

He was glowing as he gazed adoringly at them. "I know love- they're perfect."

He placed them both in my arms, and I looked adoringly down at my daughters. They were incredibly warm to hold. "Welcome to the world Charlize Rosemary Cullen, and Jemma Renesme Cullen," they both gazed up at me, and I could already read the love in their eyes. I sighed as I reluctantly handed them both over to Rosalie and Carlisle. Already I could feel the tingling burn in my stomach start to accelerate. It was time for me to change. "Goodbye my darlings- I'll see you again soon," I whispered as they were taken to meet the rest of the family and be fed from the blood stores we had collected.

I watched until they were out of the room before looking at Edward. "I love you," I reminded him.

He smiled softly, "And I you."

I closed my eyes as he injected more morphine all over my body, and I could feel myself becoming extremely drowsy. I opened my eyes for him to give me a soft and loving kiss before he plunged a syringe of venom into my heart. Almost immediately the burning tingle in my stomach was superseded by a raging inferno in my chest. I clamped my mouth shut before a scream could escape and locked my jaw. I tried not to moan in pain as Edward quickly bit my wrists, thigh, neck and legs, forcing more venom into my body. When he finished I closed my eyes before he could read the pain and agony in them. I was determined to not make a sound during my change- I would not have Edward suffer with me.

The fire roared viciously and ruthlessly through my body, and I was certain that my happiness these past few months was being repaid now with this intense agony I was going through.

It was hard to keep my mind focussed away from the immense pain, but I managed by thinking of Edward, Charlize and Jemma- the three most important people in my world. Vaguely I felt him pick me up, and I knew he was moving me to his room- we had planned this. He placed me down lightly only moments later, and I could feel him changing me into some comfortable sweats and one of his shirts. Wonderfully he began to talk- giving me something stronger to focus on.

EPOV

I lay beside her, stroking her hair softly. Despite the fact that she hadn't screamed, I knew from Jasper that she was in pain, but Jasper had although told me through his thoughts that she still seemed slightly aware.

"I don't know if you can hear me right now, but I remember hearing the minds of Rosalie and Emmett as they changed, and sometimes they could understand us, so I want you to know that I can hear our family downstairs- Emmett and Jasper are back and have met our beautiful girls, Jasper managed to come inside for a little while- he says your pain is not near the threshold of the newborns he felt when he was in the southern wars- so I guess that makes me feel a little better." It really did help to know from Jasper that she was not suffering as much as I remember my change had.

"Our babies appear to have definitely inherited my tastebuds love, because they already have a preference for mountain lion over deer." It was amazing to hear our daughters' thoughts as they tried blood for the first time, and hear the adoring thoughts of my siblings and parents as they gathered around to watch them. "Carlisle is trying to give them baby formula right now, but they seem to think it smells horrible," I chuckled, and downstairs I could hear more laughter as they heard me.

I continued giving her a play-by play of Charlize and Jemma for the first few hours, until our girls eventually fell asleep in the arms of their doting aunt Rosalie and grandmother Esme. I concentrated on Bella then. Already her skin was hardening, and I could see her changing.

Alice soon skipped through the door, a bright smile on her face. I raised an eyebrow questioningly, but she ignored me and came over to hold Bella's hand. "Good news Bella. I don't know how or why, but by this time tomorrow you'll have completed your change- less than 20 hours to go now."

My head shot up in surprise and hope. "Really?" Downstairs I could hear the incredulous thoughts of my family.

Alice grinned. "Yes," she showed me her vision of Bella waking as a vampire tomorrow.

I sighed in relief. That meant even less time that Bella would have to suffer through the burning pain.

Carlisle zipped into the room- eyes bright with the knowledge of a new discovery. "Perhaps with all the extra venom you injected, and the fact that she has already been ingesting your venom for the last few months has increased her change," he theorised.

"That makes sense," Alice agreed. "I didn't see this coming because the last time I looked for Bella's change was just after you got back from Isle Esme- before she started drinking your venom, and now when I look her change takes less than a day."

"I don't really care how or why it happened, I'm just grateful that her change will be fast," I admitted.

As they went back downstairs to watch our soundly sleeping babies, I turned on my stereo and selected Bella's lullaby. I hoped it would soothe her, but at the very least it soothed me. "Darling, I suppose you should be happy to know that our babies are both dreaming of you and I, and the rest of our family, but we are already showing up more than the others in their dreams. They are very comfortable and happy, and already they are sleeping soundly. I suppose since I can hear both of their thoughts clearly, that means that neither of them have inherited your mind shield, and since I can't hear the thoughts of anyone else through them they haven't inherited my telepathy either. I'm happy about that- it's not an easy thing to have to listen to everyone's thoughts all the time, but you make it far more bearable for me love. I'm not sure how happy our daughters will be when they grow up and I can still hear their thoughts though Bella, I'm sure there will be some things they won't want their father to know, and if they ever find mates, I hope you'll shield their thoughts because there are some things I will never want to hear in my baby girls' minds." I chuckled dryly.

I kept her updated and talked to her the whole time. When the twins woke up the next day after a solid eight hours of sleep, I gave her running commentary on their thoughts, as well as what the rest of the family was thinking, much to their amusement. I told her about how they had already grown to look weeks old instead of less than a day old, and how Carlisle was measuring them regularly, so that we would have an accurate record, since the only previous knowledge was from memories Aro had gained from South American vampires.

As Alice had predicted, I could soon hear Bella's heart racing as her change neared completion. "You're almost done now love," I assured her. Downstairs Jasper, Emmett and Carlisle offered to come up and help me in case she went wild, but Alice and I assured them that she would be fine. Bella's heart beat sped up and then stopped. I watched anxiously as Bella gasped, sucking in her first breath as a vampire.

Slowly she opened her blood red eyes.k


	43. Daughters

BPOV

I opened my eyes to find the world completely different from the one I had left. I felt like I had only been watching the world in black and white before, and now there was colour. Everything was vibrant, and my previously impressive hearing could now hear every breath and heartbeat from what I quickly identified as my daughters downstairs. I looked into Edward's bright golden eyes, which showed a hint of anxiety. He squeezed my hand and I quickly registered that he no longer felt cold to me. Our temperatures now matched. "Bella love, how are you?"

I took a breath and was surprised when it didn't feel the same. I could taste the slight hint of a delicious scent, and my throat tingled. I quickly stomped it out, realising that it was my own scent that was making me thirsty. Other than that though I felt wonderful; I could feel the raw strength running through my veins, and all the little aches that I had had with my pregnancy were gone. I felt like a phoenix- risen from the flames and all that jazz.

I concentrated on Edward. Slowly, aware that as a vampire my speed and strength had severely altered, I slowly lifted a hand to his face. He leaned into it, his eyes softening. I knew exactly what I wanted my first words as a vampire to be. "I love you," I said in my new musical voice. If I listened closely I could still hear the undertones of my human voice in it.

Edward's answering smile was blinding, and with my new sight I could finally appreciate just how incredibly handsome my husband was. "As I love you," he leaned down and my hand moved cautiously from his cheek to cup the back of his neck. I kissed him and soon my desire raged through my body. I threw myself into the kiss, completely forgetting about my new strength. With no need for air I was revelling in our kiss when Edward pulled away from me. I looked at him in confusion. "Gently love, you're stronger than I am at the moment."

"Oops," I said sheepishly. He chuckled and offered me a hand and pulled me up from the bed. Moving as a vampire was ridiculously easy. I had to make a conscious effort to slow my movements, because as soon as I wanted to move I found that I already had. I looked deep into his joyful eyes. "Thank you for talking to me while I changed Edward- I heard every word, and it helped me concentrate on you and our daughters rather than the burning pain."

His smile got brighter, and I could see a hint of relief in them. "I only wish I could have done more love- but I'm so glad it's over now and that nothing can ever take you from me." he hugged me tight to his chest. I melted against him, running my hands lightly up his muscled back. It seemed that my libido hadn't changed one bit. He groaned, and then pulled away. I pouted and he chuckled. "I'm sorry love, but I'm sure you want to meet your daughters."

My mind immediately refocussed, although since it was larger now, I was still planning what I would do to Edward later, when I got him back to our cottage, at the back of my mind. I nodded enthusiastically, "How are they?"

Edward's eyes glowed with fatherly pride. "They are absolutely perfect love. They've been spoiled rotten by the whole family all day yesterday, and they are waiting anxiously to come up and see you again. They are already very alert and recognise everyone."

I beamed. "Can I see them now?" I bit my lip, suddenly worried that I might not be able to hold them with my new super strength.

He nodded. "Stay here and I'll be right back love," I sat down on the bed and waited, comforted that Edward wasn't worried about me with the babies.

He returned quickly cradling a beautiful baby in each arm. Instead of being day-old size they looked weeks old. I gasped at their beauty. They looked liked delicate cherubs, beauty seeming to emanate from them. At my gasp they focussed their stunning hazel orbs on me. Recognition dawned in their eyes and they smiled, each reaching out a hand for me as Edward sat down beside me on the bed. I hesitantly reached out a hand to each, allowing them to grasp my hands. I hefted my mental shield around all of us so that Edward could feel the love and awe I felt at us having created two such amazing little angels.

"I know love," he whispered in awed agreement as we gazed adoringly at Charlize and Jemma. Although identical to the human eye, there were tiny differences that a vampire could easily pick up about them.

"Hello my little girls," I whispered softly. Charlize reached a small hand up an touched my cheek. All of a sudden I was pulled into images of me laying, exhausted on the bed in the other room, gazing down with amazement and love, with Edward beside me. I pulled away in shock. "What was that?"

My eyes met Edward's shocked ones. "It seems that she has a gift- she just showed you her thoughts," he sounded shocked.

"Wow," I hadn't even considered the fact that our babies would be talented before, although now that I thought about it, with Edward and I for parents it was hardly surprising.

Charlize reached her hand back up again, and I accepted it without hesitation as she showed me her day yesterday, from when she had been taken from the delivery room, downstairs with Rose and Esme. She recalled her and Jemma being fed bottles of blood, which made my throat itch lightly, but I swamped that feeling and continued to concentrate on her memories. She gave me a complete run down of her and Jemma meeting the rest of the family, including impressions of each. She seemed to think Jasper was quiet, but perfect for a cuddle, and that Emmett was delightfully amusing. Edward snorted at that. She remembered Carlisle trying to feed her and Jemma human baby formula, and I scrunched up my nose in sympathy as she recalled the taste, and laughed softly at the images of her and Jemma spitting it all over Carlisle. We were lucky he was so good natured. Soon she had finished running through everything I had missed while I was changing. "Thank you baby girl," I cooed, overjoyed that I had gotten to experience the day I had missed after all. She pulled her hand back and I reached out softly to stroke her cheek.

All of a sudden a shiny silver ornament in the shape of a musical note came flying off the shelf and into Jemma's hand. My eyes opened wide and Edward laughed. "It seems our other daughter has the gift of telekinesis and wanted to show you that she's talented to."

"Of course you are," I reassured my other daughter, "You are both so special." I gently took the ornament from her, proud of myself for having the control to not crush it.

"The others are all downstairs listening," Edward muttered, "It seems Alice wanted their gifts to be a surprise. Carlisle is fascinated."

I laughed lightly then reached cautiously towards my baby girls. "So you think I could hold them?" I was unsure of whether this was a good idea, but I desperately wanted to hold my babies.

Edward nodded encouragingly, "They're skin appears to be as indestructible as ours," he reassured me. I relaxed a little and slowly reached out as Edward gently placed them in my arms. I beamed down at them. Sitting there with my baby girls and Edward, I felt complete. I looked up so see Edward watching us with absolute adoration, love, pride and joy etched into his features and glowing in eyes. "My three beautiful girls," he whispered reverently.

Seeing that, and hearing his words, my heart leapt with love for my amazing husband, the other half of my whole, and the other side of my coin. I had waltzed in and turned his life upside down, and he had valiantly braved every step of our shared journey wherever I wanted to go with a devotion that still left me speechless. Thank you, I thought, looking deep in his eyes.

"No love, thank you. Before I met you I lived a lonely lifeless existence. You brought me to life showed me how to be truly happy, gave me your love and our two miracles. All of this is far more than I would ever have dreamed of, and I now have everything I've ever wanted as well as the things I never knew to ask for." There was nothing I could say that would adequately express my feelings at that moment so I simply tilted my head back. Edward leaned towards me and out lips met in a soft, loving kiss.

We spent some more time with our beautiful babies before it was time for their next feeding. I reluctantly handed them back to Edward to take downstairs, knowing that I wouldn't be allowed at their feedings until I had hunted myself. There was a large chance that if I smelt the blood I would go for it and that one of the babies might be hurt in the process.

"They'll be fine Bella, go and hunt," I heard Alice call up the stairs as Edward's footsteps came back up the stairs.

"Okay," I muttered as Edward reappeared. "Before we go though I want to see what I look like now," I mentally prepared myself for the inevitable red eyes as I dragged Edward into the bathroom. I gasped as I took in my image. The red eyes stared back at me. The rest of me was fairly unchanged. I was paler, and my features had all been enhanced, but underneath I could still see me. I sighed with relief. I still looked like me- only far more beautiful. I couldn't wait until the red eyes disappeared.

"What do you think?" Edward asked.

"I'm beautiful," I murmured.

Edward rolled his eyes, "Bella, you've always been far more than beautiful."

I grinned up at him, "You're my husband, you have to say that," I teased. "Come on, I'm hungry," I announced, turning away from the mirror.

He took my hand, eyes dancing with excitement. "Are you ready for your first hunt love?"

I nodded. I had seen Felix and Demetri take down animals before, so I had a rough idea of what to do. "Let's go," I smiled. He grinned and led me to the glass doors in the window that lead the forest. Holding my hand, we jumped. I stopped myself from instinctively casting a shield to catch myself, and allowed myself to land on my feet, my new vampire body easily absorbing the impact. Edward watched with amusement as I discovered my new body. He tugged on my hand, and I followed as we raced away into the forest. I had always loved speed, but this was the most enjoyment I had ever gotten from it. Running beside Edward, sharing our mutual love of running as we sped quietly through the forest, watching the clear crisp forest as we passed at blinding speeds was amazing.

Far too soon for my liking Edward drew us to a stop. Releasing my hand he brought his hands up to cup my face. "Okay love, what do you smell?" I sniffed the air cautiously, and smelt a musky scent slightly north of us. It smelt familiar.

"Deer?" I asked, sure I had drunk something similar during my pregnancy. Edward nodded encouragingly. "How many?"

I cast my shield out and felt them. "Six."

"Good, now let your instincts take over."

I obediently took a deep breath. My throat burst into flames and I raced towards my prey. The wind changed suddenly and I smelt a far more delicious scent. I stopped. My instincts roared at me to race for the tantalising scent I would smell, but I didn't recognise it. I pushed back my thirst as Edward came up beside me. I was half hoping that the scent was a particularly tasty lion or bear that I would be allowed to have, but one look at Edward's panicked face and I had my answer. Human.

"Bella, no! They're humans!" Edward's voice was fearful. I raised an eyebrow and his eyes widened in shock. "You stopped," his voice was incredulous, which I admit, felt a little insulting. He looked like he wanted to interrogate me with questions, but instead he grabbed my hand. "Come on, we can't hunt here with humans so close."

I followed as we raced away from the delicious scent. When we were far away Edward stopped and turned to me. "Bella, you always amaze me. I can't believe you stopped! I'm so sorry I didn't check to make sure there weren't any humans in the area before I let you loose- it would have been my fault if you had gone after them." Once I realised what he was talking about I was feeling pretty proud of myself. I had been told stories of newborn bloodlust for over a decade, and I knew that theoretically, I shouldn't have been able to stop. "I don't know how or why Bella, but that was amazing."

I shrugged, "I don't know either, I just knew that I hadn't drank blood that smelled like that before, and I was afraid it might be a human so I stopped and waited for you to tell me what it was," I explained.

He looked awestruck. "Well, we can talk more about that later love, let's get you fed." I nodded an refocussed.

I smelt something east of us that smelt rather good- better than deer, although nowhere near as appealing as the humans had smelt. This time I cast out a shield, enveloping the forest momentarily. "Huh," I mused at my new discovery. "My shield range had doubled," I muttered, vaguely impressed. I shrugged that aside for the moment, focussing on my prey now that I was sure that there were no humans in the area. I knew from my shield that it was a mountain lion I was after and it was in a tree. I raced towards it, spotting the tawny fur. It managed to take one swipe as I leapt on it, my teeth easily finding the throbbing jugular and biting easily through the fur and muscle to drink down the warm delicious blood. I moaned as I sucked the animal dry.

When I was finished I dropped the carcass and looked up to see Edward a few paces behind, eyes mesmerised, and staring directly at my chest. I looked down, and realised that the one swipe the lion had given me had torn the bodice of my dress to shreds, giving Edward a fairly unobstructed view. When he saw me watching he refocussed on my face. "Still hungry?" I nodded. "There's a herd of elk nearby- four of them.

"Let's go," I took off, using my new senses to pick up the beating heartbeat and musky scent of out prey. I took down two of the smaller ones, draining them quickly. When I looked up I was in time to see Edward take down the last elk- a large buck. He looked so raw and powerful, muscles rippling under his still clean shirt. It was strangely sensual to watch this wild side of him that he no longer needed to temper in my presence. He finished quickly and turned to find me. His eyes turned dark and he stalked towards me as he took in my lustful gaze.

In no time our lips were fused, our bodies hot and desperate against each other. I revelled in my heightened senses as we connected for the first time as vampires.

Afterwards I glared playfully at him while running my hands up and down his chest as we lay on the forest floor. "You were holding out on me."

He grinned, "Only a little, and only because you were still breakable," he protested, "Rest assured love that I will never hold back again."

"Good."

We picked up the torn shreds that had once been clothes and headed back, my gaze trained mostly on Edward's naked form as we raced through the forest. A quick change at our cottage and we were soon back at the main house and doting over our beautiful daughters.

Time sped by as our daughters grew fast. Far too soon for our liking they were already talking- not forming babble like normal children, but properly enounced sentences. Likewise before they were a fortnight old they were walking- with perfect balance. They never ceased to astound us with their amazing developments. Throughout it all Carlisle took down all observations, Rosalie and Alice photographed every major event, and the rest of us doted on them. Their uncle Emmett was a favourite- his fun loving nature making him a natural with them.

Both Jemma and Charlize could easily manipulate their gifts, and it quickly became apparent that when they were touching they could share each other's gifts- a side effect of being twins Carlisle and Aro thought.

Before long it was time for them to learn to hunt for themselves. The blood stores were running low since Charlize and Jemma needed a lot of blood to support their rapid growth, and Carlisle announced one day that it was time they learnt to hunt for their own food. Naturally I was hesitant, desperately trying to rid my brain of images of them up against a grizzly or a mountain lion.

Emmett was ecstatic, "Don't worry girls, Uncle Emmett will show you how it's done!" I glared at him, but he ignored me, smiling at the enthusiastic looks on the girls' faces.

Edward's arms wrapped comfortingly around me, "Don't worry love, their skin is as impenetrable as ours, and we'll start them off small," I relaxed into his arms and huffed, nodding reluctantly. "No grizzly bears until they are older Em," he warned his brother.

Edward and I followed along behind Emmett and the girls as they ran through the forest- even though they only looked to be about six they had already taken after their father as far as speed went- they could already keep up with Emmett. We hung back a bit and I sighed with relief as I realised that Emmett was leading them towards a herd of small deer- far safer than a grizzly in my point of view.

As with everything they did they took to hunting like ducks to water- making their first kills neatly and efficiently like their father, with only a few spots of blood spilled. I was still trying to keep my clothes from being soaked in blood when I hunted.

The whole family helped to raise them. Esme, Rose and Alice pampered them and loved dressing them up, Carlisle doted on them and loved telling them stories. Jasper taught them to read and play chess, and Emmett showed them how to have fun.

Jemma and Charlize developed into sweet, good natured and fun-loving girls. Jemma had the more mischievous, sportive streak and would often enlist the help of her more musically and fashion orientated sister in playing pranks on their favourite target- Emmett. It seemed that they had inherited traits form both Edward and I. We couldn't be prouder of them, and Edward loved listening to their happy thoughts and devious plans for Emmett.

Edward was delighted that Charlize was so interested in music, and while he taught her to play I often helped Jemma refine some of her pranks. One particularly entertaining one was when I found Jemma sitting comfortably on the couch watching as Emmett attempted to catch the game controller that was moving erratically around the room thanks to Jemma's telekinesis. I couldn't help but laugh and the rest of the family immediately came to see what all the fuss was about. "That's it Emmy! Bounce like Tigger!" Jemma called to him and the rest of the family joined in my laughter. She truly did take after me when it came to mischief.

Jemma and Charlize also loved playing playstation, Wii and Xbox games against Emmett. Both had their own preferred method for beating him. Charlize would subtly reach over in the middle of a game and touch Emmett- showing him an image of him losing. This would then get him so distracted that Charlize would be bound to win. Jemma had a different approach. She would sit back and use telekinesis to handle her controller, floating it in front of them. As soon as she said the words "look Emmett! No hands," he would turn to look at the controller, for some reason no matter how many times she used that trick he couldn't stop himself from looking at her controller floating and moving without hands on it. This distraction would inevitably cost Emmett the game. I couldn't have been prouder of my girls.

The Volturi loved hearing about them and seeing regular pictures and we made plans to visit them soon- we were only waiting to see whether the control I had shown on my first hunt meant that I could be around humans, and how the girls would react to humans. Carlisle provided a solution though. He brought home human donor blood from the hospital one day and tested us. I took a deep, but hesitant breath. My throat burned with thirst, but it was controllable. I found that as I kept breathing the familiarity helped. "Not so bad after all," I muttered.

The girls fared even better. They sniffed it and shrugged, "Mountain lion tastes better," Jemma muttered. I turned to glare accusingly at Emmett.

He put up his hands defensively. "She was fine Bella, and she didn't want a deer when the mountain lion smelt better," I growled at him. He backed away slowly.

"It's the principle of the thing Emmett- you should have told me," I demanded.

"I know, and I'm sorry- I promise I'll tell you next time," I sighed and looked back at Jemma. He was right- she was fine. I nodded to Emmett and relaxed, clamping down on my heightened newborn emotions.

Since the blood test had gone so well we made plans to visit the Volturi in a month. They were all excited- Heidi, Didyme, Sulpicia, Jane and Renata all rushing out to redecorate my tower and buy beds for our daughters. I was looking forward to seeing them again too.

All was going so well and our family couldn't have been happier, so I should have been on the lookout for something to go wrong, but I had grown complacent.

Soon after we began to plan our trip to Italy Emmett and the girls came back from their hunt with confused looks. "Tanya and Irena were coming to see us, but when they saw us they turned around and ran off," he explained.

Alice nodded. "I saw them decide to come and apologize- they wanted to make amends with our family, especially since we have close ties to the Volturi, but they hadn't decided when they were coming so I didn't mention it," she murmured. Then her face went blank. Beside me Edward froze. They snapped out quickly and their faces showed horror. "The Romanians," Alice whispered.

"They've been building an army to go up against the Volturi, and now Tanya and Irena are going to give them an excuse to use it- they're coming for us."

My eyes opened wide, "Why?" I demanded, "What excuse do they have?"

Edward turned his eyes on me sadly. "They saw our girls and they think they are immortal children."

I gasped. It had never even occurred to me that someone might think out beautiful creations were immoral children. "Well they're not going to win," I said determinedly.

The others nodded in agreement.


	44. War

BPOV

Our timeline for visiting the Volturi was moved up dramatically and in three days we were packed and in a private jet on our way to Volterra. Our girls were excited to be travelling, having heard all about their extended family. Likewise, the Volturi couldn't wait to see their newest princesses.

If we hadn't had the threat of the Romanians hanging over our heads this would have been an uninhibited and enthusiastic flight. As it was we tried to stay positive and happy for the girls, while at the back of our mind analysing all the information Alice had managed to see about the Romanians.

The girls and I had been fine through the airport- my throat had burned horribly, but I had managed to remain in control. Jasper helped by sending me waves of calm and I only had to look into Edward's eyes to relax and completely forget about everyone else. Human blood just couldn't compete with my husband. The girls had barely noticed the scent of human blood and hadn't been bothered in the least. The whole family was proud of us.

Rosalie flew the plane, with me switching on and off with Emmett as co-pilot when I wasn't spending time with my girls. They seemed to love being on the plane and were curious about everything. When their curiosity about the plane had finally waned Alice kept them occupied with European shopping destination plans- she didn't see why we couldn't mix a bit of pleasure with our business. I had some shopping plans as well- a surprise for Edward.

When we finally reached Rome I brought the jet down for a smooth landing at the airport, having had plenty of experience landing in Rome before. I eagerly led the girls outside and to the waiting cars, happily anticipating seeing my extended family and introducing them the Charlize and Jemma. I knew the rest of my family was going to dote on them- nobody could resist my girls.

The castle quickly arrived in view and my girls' eyes sparkled with eagerness. "Mommy, it's so pretty, is this where you are a princess?" Jemma's young voice asked.

"It is darling, and you and Charlize are my daughters, which makes you both princesses as well."

Their eyes widened with delight. I smiled at their expressions. "That's right baby girls; you're not just daddy's princesses- you're Volturi princesses too." They chattered away in delight as when drove into the castle.

When we arrived it was amusing to watch them try to get to me first. Naturally the front runners were Felix and Demetri, but Felix managed to throw Demetri into the wall before speeding towards me. He didn't get very far before Jane froze him in his tracks and he collapsed on the ground in agony while she ran past him. Unfortunately for her Alec unleashed his gift on her, stopping her from moving as he overtook her and reached me first. He hugged me hard, no longer having to be careful since I was now a durable vampire rather than a fragile human. It felt wonderful to be back.

I hugged him back as I watched the others over his shoulder. Felix was back on his feet and annoyed at Jane. 'Was that really necessary?" he demanded.

She shrugged, "You were in my way."

"Well you didn't have to give me such a high dose of pain!"

"That was only a tiny love tap," she protested.

Sulpicia rolled her eyes as she glided past them, "Children," she muttered scornfully before sweeping me out of Alec's arms and into her own. "Bella welcome back honey. Being a vampire suits you, but then, we always knew it would. Cullens, it is good to see you all again." Then she turned to look at my daughters, who were watching the squabbling vampires with interest. "And now, perhaps you could introduce us to our new princesses."

The squabbling stopped then, and the rest piled around, delighted to be welcoming me back, and eager to meet my baby girls. Said girls watched on with eager and curious eyes as they were introduced. As predicted, my Volturi family was immediately enthralled by our little princesses. For the rest of that day and all of the next the fierce Volturi dropped everything to spend time with Charlize and Jemma, who soaked up all the attention with delight.

The first thing Aro, Marcus and Caius did was present both girls with a charm bracelet. There were already three charms on it- a Volturi crest, a Cullen crest, and an amethyst encrusted "J" for Jemma/sapphire encrusted "C" for Charlize. The very next day Edward added to their bracelets- a small diamond heart each. They were perfect miniatures of my own diamond heart that I wore around my neck. "Now all three of you have a piece of my heart," he murmured and my heart melted. Edward was the perfect father, and my girls and I adored him.

As a mother I was determined that despite the upcoming threat my children would enjoy their childhood- especially as they only had seven years until they were fully grown. Didyme was delighted to find that both liked music, although Charlize had more interest than Jemma. While they had liked both Edward's piano and my harp, they soon found under Didyme's encouraging influence that they each had their own favourite instrument. Jemma liked the clarinet, and Charlize found the violin to be her favourite.

They also loved playing videogames with Felix, Demetri and Emmett, with my guards making sure to show them every trick in the book to win- beating Emmett had become a hobby of theirs, and as their mother I couldn't be prouder. Whenever they had separated to do different things, upon returning they would hold hands and show each other what the other had missed.

Us females took the twins shopping, since they knew I wanted to maintain a semblance of normality for my girls. Meanwhile the males would be making plans to overthrow the Romanians. Luckily my girls had far more stamina than I had when I was four. On those shopping trips I had often been carried home after falling asleep in one of the shops- it had been tiring to try and keep up with the limitless energy of shopping vampires when I was only a human child. But thankfully my girls stayed energised and excited all day- happy to be spending the family money. I let Suplicia, Heidi, Didyme, Esme and Renata take the girls into a toy store while I ducked into a lingerie store and bought my surprises for Edward. That night, after we had put our girls to bed, I modelled each set for him, delighted when he ripped each one off and ravished me thoroughly at the top of my tower. In the early hours of the morning I lay atop Edward as he soothingly stroked my back and I opened my mind to him and allowed him to soothe away all my fears for the coming weeks.

The men kept us updated on any plans they made. They had already contacted the Romanians so that they would not mistakenly head for Forks. Tanya and Irena had told the Romanians about Alice so they were not surprised when the Volturi called. They agreed to a time and place far away from humans in the Dinaric Alps, Croatia- a midway point between Italy and Romania. We had three weeks to prepare and we had already called on all the outlying Volturi members.

It did not take long for them all to start arriving. All the outlying Volturi members poured in from all over the world- Egypt, Ireland, Amazon, Africa, Russia, Asia... There were vampires from all over the world gathering at the castle. Charlize and Jemma loved all the attention they got, for nobody could resist their charms. They were shocked upon first meeting Charlize and Jemma- their minds immediately thinking of immortal Children, but once they stopped and we explained, allowing them to hear their heartbeats and the blood running through their veins they all relaxed. Most had not heard of hybrids before, although there were a few who came from South America that had.

Zafrina was one of the most interesting South American Volturi members. She had the gift of illusions, and was a little put out that her gift would not work on me unless I allowed it. I did allow it once, curious about the extent of her gift. She showed me a beautiful underwater reef that looked and felt incredibly real. She was quite motherly and quickly grew attached to the girls, as did everyone who showed up.

Perhaps the most surprising arrivals were Kate, Eleazer and Carmen. They came to how us where their allegiance lay despite Tanya and Irena's betrayal, although Edward and Aro later mentioned that in reality they were siding with the group they thought was most likely to win. One of the nomadic Volturi members, Garret- a good friend of Santiago's, took one look at Kate and fell in love. She was a little harder to convince after having been a succubus for thousands of years, but one electric touch was all the confirmation she needed. I was happy for them, but it made me thankful that I hadn't had to wait millennia to find Edward, though if need be I would have.

The week passed quickly, with us planning out our attack using Alice's visions. We were astounded by the sheer size of the army the Romanians had been building. They had secretly been making vampires for years, and many of them were likely to have talents. They also had many newborns, which were each paired with an older vampire to keep them in line. But we had our battle plans worked out. Although Alice couldn't see what gifts the Romanians had, nor how the fight would go- there were far too many decisions still to be made for that, we were fairly confident that we would win.

The Volturi had a small weapon that looked like a crucifix. It turned vampires to ashes in seconds. When it touched a vampire and a button on the top was pressed it would shoot and extremely flammable gel created by Sulpicia onto the vampire along with a spark that would ignite it. In seconds the vampire was no more. The crucifix had been designed by Santiago, who just loved the irony of a cross shaped weapon that killed vampires. It had been the reason for the myths about vampires not going near crosses. A Volturi holding a cross was something to be avoided. These weapons were handed out to those that wanted one. Some of us preferred to use our gifts, or our own strength.

One of the highlights of our week was when I equipped my two little girls with large bottles of diet Coke and some Mentos. They snuck up on Emmett, who was engrossed in a video game and couldn't hear their heartbeats over the speakers. Placing the Mentos in the Coke, they shook it up and aimed for Emmett. The Coke exploded out of the bottles and all over Emmett. He leaped into the air in fright, while we all laughed at him. I made sure to video the whole thing and later I put some photos of the event in the girls' scrapbooks. I was so proud that they were taking after me.

A few days before the battle everyone had arrived. In total we had about 50 members, many of which had talents. The Egyptian vampire Ben could control elements. Maggie and Siobhan from Ireland could detect lies and will the right outcome of situations respectively. There were many others that also had unique gifts. There were also those that, while not gifted, were very talented fighters. Garrett, was one of those, as was Randall- another American nomad. Emmett had a great time wrestling with them during the week.

The most interesting additions to Edward and I were the hybrid Nahuel and his aunt Huilen. They had been recruited many years ago, and Aro had managed to get into contact with them, knowing that now would be a good time for us to meet him, in case there was anything else we wished to know about hybrids, and what we might expects as our girls grew. We spent a lot of time talking to both of them, and letting them meet Charlize and Jemma. Nahuel seemed fascinated with them, and I was a little worried about what might happen in the future, but Edward reassured me and corrected my assumption. "It wasn't the girls he was looking at love, it was you." I cocked an eyebrow at him in surprise. "You are alive, even after giving birth to hybrids. It has changed his whole perspective. He always blamed himself for his mother's death, but now he can see that it was not his fault, that his father had the choice to save her, but didn't care enough to do it. It has relieved him greatly to know that he was not born inherently evil because his mother died at his birth." After that I still felt awkward around Nahuel, but I pushed it aside, feeling sorry for him.

The day before we were to leave for the fight Alice saw the final figures for the battle. All told the Romanians had over eighty vampires, half of which were strong newborns. She had been puzzling over something for the last week, and she had finally figured it out thanks to her visions. "There's a female vampire with them, small, with black hair. They call her Chelsea. She's the one helping control the newborns by binding them to an older vampire. She also has the whole army bound to Stefan and Vladmir."

At this news Aro, Caius and Marcus hissed. "Chelsea is one of our members. We had wondered where she and Afton had gotten to when they did not answer their summons. Now we see why- the traitor. No doubt they plan to have her try and break our bonds and disintegrate all connections within our group," Aro explained. At this news everyone growled. Nobody liked a traitor.

In an effort to lighten up the crowd of vampires, and my little girls, who had sensed the upcoming battle, I went shopping for some specific items. Edward and I had told our little girls that there was to be an upcoming battle, but that they were not to worry. They would be staying behind at the castle with Didyme, Sulpicia, Esme, Carlisle, Renata and Alec. We wouldn't be sure that the Romanians wouldn't send forces to take the castle while most of us were away. Both Tanya and Irena were well aware of how Alice's talents worked and how to get around it, and I would not leave my babies unprotected. Neither would I subject them to the horrors of war unnecessarily. Renata was staying behind because her shielding ability could be extended to anyone she touched, and she had promised to faithfully protect my children. Alec was staying because his ability could be used to incapacitate an entire army if the need arose, and, after me, he was the best choice for protecting my girls. Didyme, Sulpicia, Esme and Carlisle were far too peaceful to go to war if they were not needed. For while they would do anything to protect their family, they knew they weren't needed in the fight, and had therefore elected to stay and provide protection and distraction for our daughters.

I came back from my shopping trip with all the garlic juice the city held, and a massive amount of supersoaker water guns. Enlisting the help of my wonderful husband, who wrinkled his nose in disgust, but bravely helped fill the bottles for the guns with the garlic juice, I soon had them all ready and placed in the main hall. Alice had seen what was going on and came to help, bouncing excitedly and towing my enthusiastic daughters. They grinned with delight when I told them my plan and ran off to lure all the vampires into the main hall. My uncles, aunts, Esme and Carlisle had been told and they stayed up on the doorway of the balcony to watch, with a shield surrounding them to protect them from any wayward sprays of garlic juice. Other than the guns Edward, Alice, my daughters and I held, the rest had been hidden around the hall, in which we had placed cheep tables, lounges and other furnishing in to provide cover. I shielded all of us separately, not really wanting to smell like garlic for the next few days and we waited.

My daughters had done a good job. Emmett and Jasper were the first through the door. Emmett had been talking to Jasper, and I took aim just as his mouth opened. "Bullseye!" I screamed as the garlic juice was squirted right in his mouth and I jumped up from my hiding spot. Emmett was desperately trying to spit the foul tasting juice out of his mouth when he was bombarded with juice from the others, quickly soaking him to the skin. Jasper ran to hide, but soon popped up again when he found his own weapon stashed away. He started taking shots too, military trailing coming in handy as he shot at us.

The rest of the vampires soon arrived, and were ambushed by us as well, most finding their own weapons quickly and retaliating immediately. It was exhilarating to run around shooting people. I was feeling especially smug that my shield allowed any juice I was hit with to simply slide off.

We kept the play in the main hall- my uncles would have been most displeased to have the entire castle smelling like garlic. It soon turned into an every person for themselves fight, with Charlize and Jemma turning to Edward and I with mischievous grins before spraying us. We had to reload a few times. One time while I was quickly refilling my gun Emmett jumped on top of me, pinned me down and poured the entire 5 litre can of juice all over me. I got up and shook, sending the liquid flying around the room as it flew off my shield. "You cheat!" Emmett exclaimed as he realised that my shield was in place. I simply laughed and shot my reloaded gun at him in point blank range, right into his open mouth. He choked as it went down and I ran before he could retaliate, shooting at Garret and Randall as I passed them by and took cover behind a piece of furniture.

We eventually ran out of juice, but everyone was relaxed and laughing, which had been my main goal in the first place. Everyone pitched in with the cleaning, burning the cheap furniture, and washing down the room. I remained nice and clean, as did Edward, Renata, Charlize, Jemma and Alice. The rest of them stunk of garlic, even after a vigorous wash. I snickered as we all regrouped, my nose wrinkling at the smell. Uncle Caius groaned at the assault on his sense of smell. 'Well at the very least, you'll probably be able to scare of the Romanians with your scent," we laughed.

"All part of my plan uncle," I winked at him.

...

Edward and I reluctantly said goodbye to our beautiful girls and left with the rest of the Volturi and our family. It was time to head for the Dinaric Mountains. We sped down the European roads in the many sports cars that sat in the Volterra Castle garage. My Bugatti was in the lead, being the fastest of all the cars. We quickly reached the end of the road, from which we would hike deep into the mountain range and far away from any humans.

Running was always exhilarating, but this time there was an edge of tenseness and anticipation surrounding us. Just before we reached the peak Alice froze and Edward froze with her, a furious growl escaping from his throat. I watched them anxiously. "What is it?"

"Just as we suspected, they have sent fifteen vampires into the castle to take it while we are away. They are moving in now."

I clutched his arm anxiously. "Will our girls be alright? I was ready to race back now in the hopes that I might reach them in time."

Alice had yet to come out of her vision, but a moment later she blinked and nodded, as I felt Edward relax. "They will be fine. Alec will be able to take care of them with no help," she reassured me. "Your daughters won't even seen or hear anything because Esme and Renata will keep them occupied." I sagged in relief, before anger flooded through my veins. I was ready to take down the entire Romanian army singlehandedly for their underhanded tricks. We had agreed to meet them here for the fight, and yet they had sent people to take our castle while we weren't there. My daughters had been threatened and I was out for revenge. "Stefan and Vladmir are mine," I growled. Nobody was stupid enough to challenge me in my enraged state.

I strode forward, my uncles on one side of me, and Edward on the other. My royal blue cloak loudly proclaimed my status as the princess to all who looked. It was time to show the world just how invincible I was.

We reached the edge of a large clearing in the heart of the ranges. On the other sides of the clearing there was already a large gathering of vampires, all watching us eagerly, their stances aggressive and eager. There were well over a hundred of them, while there were only fifty of us, but I wasn't worried. I let my rage infuse me, using it to strengthen my power. I had shields over every one of the Volturi members, layered to ensure that they stayed safe.

As we spread out on our side of the clearing Edward glanced quickly at Eleazer, while Aro touched him momentarily. Edward leaned down and whispered quietly in my ear. "They have a pair of changed twins like Jane and Alec, only one of the twins is a shield like you, while the other negates shields." I froze at that information. I had never come across a vampire that could counteract my gift. The idea of my shield not working was frightening. My shields were our greatest defence, for we were only half the size. Without it we would still be able to win, but there was the chance of casualties. I did not want there to be so much as a scratch on any of us. I was determined. "Where are they?"

"Two middle aged women to the side. The one of the left has the shield- though it is only a single physical layer- no mental protection and no multiple shields, and the one on the right negates shields."

"Jane, when this starts, I want you to take down the one on the left. I will deal with the shielded one myself." She smiled angelically.

Slightly ahead of us, my uncles progressed until we neared them in the middle. "Vladmir, Stefan. Is it really necessary for you to challenge us?" Aro asked futility. We already knew the answer.

"Aro, we will no longer remain under your laws. It is time for vampires to rule the world, not lurk in shadows. Your princess has violated your own laws by creating immortal children, and that served to show that you are hypocrites that cannot rule properly. You are weak now, and it is our turn to rule."

"Ah, but your informants only saw the children for a second, and therefore did not register the children's heartbeats, nor blood. They were not immortal children that Tanya and Irena saw, but hybrids, much like Nahuel," he said, indicating the hybrid behind him. The eyes of many Romanians widened as they registered his fluttering heartbeat and heard the rush of blood through his veins.

It only made them pause for a few seconds though. "Even if what you say is true, it is too late. Right now we have vampires taking over your castle, and we will rule the world. Nothing you do can stop us."

Aro's jaw clenched. "So be it."

Immediately I felt my shields being torn down, but thanks to the many layers, I simply replaced them. I kept one part of my mind on replenishing my shields, finding that I could put up shields faster than the vampire at the other end of the clearing could take them down. She was only targeting me, and could only remove them one at a time. "Jane." Beside me Jane focussed on her and she collapsed to the ground, screaming and convulsing. Moments later she was dead.

Her twin turned to glare at me as I felt out with another shield. She had a large bubble over the vampires- a single shield. None of the Romanians had moved yet, apparently wishing to stay under the protection for the shield for as long as possible. I spread my shield out to encompass hers, pressing against it. I smiled as I saw her frown. She had felt my shield slowly compressing hers. She was still quite a new vampire from the looks of things, and she may have had a shield, but I was far more powerful. I constricted my shield, and hers lost ground. Pressing even further, her shield snapped back, no longer protecting the army, only providing her with protection. I allowed my shield to advance on her, encompassing her shielded body. She screamed as my shield pressed into hers and caused it to slowly crush her. All of a sudden I slammed it down, her body crumbling into pieces.

With the Romanian's shield down, they burst into battle. We retaliated immediately. Ben's elemental control extended to lightning, and the sky was flashing as bolts felled the Romanian vampires. Emmett, had thrown himself into the battle with gusto, and Edward was fighting with finesse- always one move ahead of his combatants. I stood in the middle, keeping my shields safely around my family, unwilling to sacrifice any in today's battle. As a monitored my shields I scanned the Romanians, searching for the leaders. They were near the back, having dropped back to be protected by their minions, when I spotted them. Vladimir and Stefan. It felt creepy just looking at them. It wasn't the red eyes- I had grown up with a whole family of red-eyed vampires- no; it was simply the menace that seemed to emanate from them. I felt sick just looking at them. I felt the inexplicable urge to crush their throats in my bare hands. These creatures had dared threaten my family, and had wanted to destroy my daughters. Never before had I felt such hatred. Moving forward I used my shield to part the vampires in my path that were making a futile attempt to stop my progress towards their masters. I pushed them aside with contempt. My family was well shielded, and I was invincible as I headed for them.

The evil smirk on Stefan and Vladimir's faces slid off as they watch my easy progress through the ranks of their army. I walked slowly, confidently, knowing that there was nothing that could stop me. Their deaths were assured. My face remained stony, royal blue cloak flying out behind me as I advanced on my prey. Vladimir attempted to smile, glaring at Chelsea. "Princess, you are welcome to join us. You could be our queen, and rule the world," his sinister smile did nothing to calm my anger, and I could feel Chelsea's increased attacks against my shield as she tried to break my bonds to my family and tie me to the Romanians. I didn't even bother to glance her way as I crushed her into pieces with a shield. The Romanian's eyes widened at the sight.

"I am invincible to attacks- you didn't really think she would be able to sway me did you?" I glared at them. They gulped as I stepped the last few feet towards them. "You threatened my family, and for that you have earned you death. They tried to run at the last minute, desperately searching for a way out as they turned to flee. I grabbed each one by the throat and brought their heads close to me as they struggled franticly. "Goodbye," I whispered before using a wrist flick Felix and Demetri had shown me to neatly behead them. With that done I quickly crushed the rest of their bodies and set them alight.

I turned and found that the battle had all but stopped. With their leaders gone, and Chelsea no longer there to maintain their bonds the Romanian army did not know what to do. Most stopped, and those that continued to fight were quickly taken care of.

I looked around, searching for a pair of familiar faces. Irena was already gone, most of her body disintegrated by one of Ben's lighting strikes. Tanya though was at Edward's feet, begging his forgiveness, while he stood there looking down at her in disgust. I stalked towards her and Edward shifted his gaze, eyeing me with lust. Apparently my little power trip had been a major turn on. I returned his look before refocussing on Tanya, still on her knees in front of my Edward. Angry, I viciously pushed out the shield surrounding Edward. Tanya flew back. Uncle Caius caught her. Holding her by her long strawberry blonde hair he brought his mouth to her ear. "You shouldn't have betrayed our Princess," his whisper was heard by the entire collection of vampires. Tanya didn't even have time to screech before Caius brought down his crucifix and she burst into flames. In a matter of seconds all that was left of the vindictive succubus was ashes. With Tanya's death, all the remaining Romanians swore allegiance to the Volturi. All in all we had recruited more than twenty vampires.

I couldn't be bothered staying around while my uncles sorted out the new recruits. I ran for Edward. He caught me up in his arms and we shared an explosive kiss, pouring in all the amped up feelings that were raging through us thanks to the battle, and all of our lust for each other. I felt like I was on fire, warmth and heat shooting through my body. However, despite desperately wanting to drag Edward off into the forest and take him against a tree, we needed to see our little girls.

We headed back to Volterra, racing back across Europe. Alice's vision had worried us, despite her assurances that all was well. As a mother I still needed to have them in my arms, check anxiously over every inch of them and reassure myself that they were fine. Edward was the same, and so we made it back to Volterra in record time.

I rushed in and ran straight to my girls, gathering them up in my arms and kissing them. Edward joined me, wrapping his arms around all three of us. We simply held them for a while, grateful that they were safe and sound, as were the rest of our family.

A few days later we left and headed back to Forks. I fervently hoped that there would be no further adventures anytime soon. I had had enough action to last for at least the next century. Now I just wanted to settle down and spend time with my wonderful husband and daughters.


	45. Epilogue

2 ½ years later

BPOV

I walked out on stage in my gown and graduation cap, smiling as I received my English Literature degree. It was luckily an overcast day, and in the crowd was my wonderful husband, the Cullens, and my parents, who had never looked prouder of me. My daughters were nearby, but away from my parents who, would know something strange was up with just one look at their faces. Their growth had thankfully slowed, and they now looked to be about twelve. Their faces, just like their eyes, were a mixture of both Edward and I that was immediately obvious to everyone that saw them. Thus they could not meet my parents, though we had allowed them to come and see their human grandparents and watch me receive my degree. I had easily completed it through online courses, but I had wanted Charlie and Renee to have the opportunity to see me receive my degree, knowing that this would probably be the last time I would ever get to see them.

A little bronzing powder, some makeup and contacts had allowed me to see my parents without making them suspicious. The Cullens were also wearing makeup that made them look like they had aged. About a year ago we had finally moved out of Forks and were living in Canada. It was beautiful and we all enjoyed it. We stayed mainly out in the wilderness so that we wouldn't have to go to school yet, and it was relaxing to simply focus on providing Charlize and Jemma with as many childhood experiences as possible. It also allowed Edward and I to spend a lot of time together, for we were still in our newly mated years and liked to ravish each other as much as possible.

As I stepped off the stage I was engulfed in Edward's arms as he hugged me. "I am so proud of you love." I wrapped my arms around him and kissed him happily. Eventually he released me and we made our way over to our parents. There were lots of hugs and kisses and congratulations, and I was happy that I got to spend the day with them before they had to head back. Rosalie headed home with our girls after the ceremony, and I caught up with my parents. I still phoned and emailed them regularly, but I knew that this would probably be the last time I could see them in person, so I made the most of it.

Phil was now a minor league baseball coach, and Charlie was dating Sue Clearwater, a lady from the reservation that had been married to his best friend Harry. I tensed slightly as I remembered that both of her children were werewolves, and I could only hope that she wouldn't tell him any the supernatural aspects of the world he lived in. Charlie was the type that preferred to live in a blissful ignorance if the truth was too much to bear, and he didn't need to know about vampires and werewolves. Beside me Edward soothed me by stroking my arms and I relaxed, realising that if Sue had told Charlie anything Edward would have read it in his mind.

Renee was her happy flighty self. Her new fad was collecting antique cuckoo clocks. I could just imagine the noise of all the cuckoo birds driving Phil mad. I hoped for his sake that she would find a new hobby soon. I was pleased that both of my parents seemed to be happy and adjusting well to not having me nearby.

It was sad to say goodbye to them, but I was happy that I had had the chance to see them again and that they were doing so well. Once they left Edward simply held me in his arms for a while, knowing that all I needed was his soothing embrace. Eventually I turned and sighed. Taking his hand, I laced my fingers through his. "Let's go home."

Over the coming years I still maintained contact with my parents, I sent them photos using age progression technology to make us look older. I also kept an eye on them from a distance. Charlie ended up marrying Sue, and he continued to happily live in blissful ignorance. I was grateful that there was someone to take care of him now. Renee lived her days out happily changing hobbies every few weeks and enjoying life.

We visited the Volturi regularly, and they were the undisputed vampire leaders of the world once again. After the fight rumours had circulated throughout the vampire world about the Volturi's invincibility, and more specifically the 'all powerful princess.' Nobody dared challenge them now, and thankfully that meant that there were far less incidents where vampires broke the law.

Our daughters loved life as well. They brightened up rooms with their constant smiles and happy demeanours. They continuously played pranks on Emmett, and had each developed their own interests. While they still did most things together, they each liked specific things. Jemma was the more sporty of the two and loved to skateboard and swim. She was already looking into motorcross, and I had a feeling that in a few years time we were going to have to buy her a motorbike and build her a track. I was very thankful that her skin was almost as tough as ours and that it was nearly impossible for her to harm herself, despite the dangers such sports would pose to a human. Charlize loved most musical instruments, favouring her violin, but playing almost any instrument she could acquire, including obscure ones such as the glass harmonica, chrysalis and the fluba. Her other favoured instrument was the banjo. She also loved to paint and created beautiful landscapes of the surrounding forests and lakes for Canada.

We couldn't be prouder of our girls, and Edward doted on them like any loving father would. I loved to watch him play with them, and see the loving adoration etched on his face as he looked at them. With Edward, Charlize, Jemma, the Cullens and the Volturi, my world was complete.

10 years later

Our girls had grown up. Now they both looked to be about 25, and could pass as our elder sisters. They were stunningly beautiful and turned heads wherever they went. Edward would often groan at the thoughts of every straight man that caught even a glimpse of Charlize and Jemma, and I often shielded him from it to give him some relief, and to stop him from scaring every human near him when he glared furiously at those with the most impure thoughts.

We had allowed Charlize and Jemma to go to school once their aging slowed down enough, and at the age of four they had started as high school freshmen. As much as the rest of our family had wanted to join them, they refused to go to school with their parents, aunts and uncles. So Edward, being the protective father he is, found them a nice all-girls school, where they greatly enjoyed their advanced classes and made a few human friends.

Now they had finished high school and they wanted to leave the nest and travel the world together- without the encumbrance of overprotective parents. I didn't think it was very fair that normal parents usually got to keep their children for at least seventeen years before they had to let them go, and we didn't. But they were grown up and mature girls, and I wouldn't hold them back for anything in the world.

So Edward and I reluctantly sent them off on their world tour, making sure they had everything they needed and that they had promised to call us regularly and send lots of photos. We had taken them to our favourite countries a few years ago, and they were going back to visit some of those as well as exploring more of the world.

We also made sure that they had had a lot of combat training in case they came across anything supernatural. Their gifts had expanded to the point where Charlize could plant thoughts in the mind of anyone (except me) within a few miles, and Jemma could move anything within that range. Jemma's telekinesis could also be reversed and used as a force field around her and Charlize, which relaxed Edward and I a little. As long as they were touching they could share both powers, and each had learnt how to handle their twin's power as well as their own.

We felt we had prepared them as best we could, and we sadly waved goodbye at the airport as they boarded a plane, bound first for Africa. Edward held me in his arms as we both resisted the urge to drag them back off the plane and take them home. When the plane finally took off I gave a sad sigh and turned into Edward. "Our babies are gone."

"I know love, but they'll be back before you know it. We have eternity with them after all, a year around the world is nothing." I could tell he was trying to convince himself as much as he was trying to convince me. "Besides," he continued, "I have a surprise for you."

I raised an eyebrow as he took me by the hand and led me down the airport to a different plane- one bound for Rio. "I thought we could have a second honeymoon- just think, all alone on Isle Esme, and we don't have to be back for a whole year. I even made sure that the island had a phone connection installed and that the girls know where to contact us."

His golden eyes were irresistible, and just the thought of our first honeymoon at Isle Esme had me smiling and eying him lustfully. "You always know how to cheer me up."


End file.
